Key tech players aid Obama transition behind the scenes

President-elect Obama's review of likely changes at the FCC has been delegated publicly to two respected professors, but there are plenty of communications executives working behind the scenes to influence decisions about the agency and the incoming administration's approach to tech policy.

Several hold official titles with the transition, but many others are relying on informal ties to have their voices heard on policy matters while staying out of the spotlight. For the transition team, the result is a tightrope walk with the watchdog community on one side of the balance rod and corporate interests on the other.

Susan Crawford and Kevin Werbach, professors at the University of Michigan and the University of Pennsylvania, respectively, are heading up the FCC review. They sit on the advisory board of Public Knowledge, best known for advocating unfettered access to Internet content and less-restrictive copyright laws. "We're not going to be a government that's run by corporate lobbyists. That's the message," said Gigi Sohn, president and co-founder of the group.

But with a heavy roster of former top FCC officials and powerful communications executives working on the transition, some are skeptical that academics will choose the next agency chairman. "I find it hard to believe that they would be the persons making the selections," said one industry source, who expects higher level advisers to call the shots.

Crawford and Werbach report to Tom Wheeler, an early supporter of Obama, major fundraiser for his campaign and longtime lobbyist. Wheeler, on leave as managing director at the venture capital firm Core Capital Partners, has a long resume that includes stints as head of the main cable and wireless industry associations.

Meanwhile, the transition team roster reads like a who's who of the tech world and includes several former FCC regulators and executives affiliated with Google, Intel, Level 3 Communications, Microsoft, Sprint Nextel and many more. Obama's advisers have maintained informal contact with a wide array of industry players to gather feedback useful in shaping policy.

"Just as we did during the campaign, the Obama transition team is committed to bringing together all parties to share ideas, thoughts and advice during the transition process," spokeswoman Amy Brundage said in an e-mail to CongressDaily.

The advice will include so-called "transition letters" to be submitted by stakeholders this month outlining their policy concerns, a telecom industry source disclosed. AT&T and Verizon, who fared well with the Bush administration and its GOP-controlled FCC, are relying on two influential and well-connected executives with strong Democratic Party bona fides to build rapport with Obama aides. Kathryn Brown, Verizon's senior vice president for public policy development and corporate responsibility, served as chief of staff to former FCC Chairman Bill Kennard, a telecom and tech adviser to the campaign. She initially backed Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., but later threw her allegiance behind Obama. Dorothy Attwood, senior vice president of regulatory planning and policy at AT&T, was senior legal adviser to Kennard.

Brown declined to comment and Attwood did not return calls.