Meredith Attwell Baker, the former FCC commissioner who caused a stir when she left the agency to lobby for Comcast months after the agency approved the NBCUniversal deal, is now headed for the CTIA-The Wireless Association. Baker’s first day as president and CEO of the wireless lobby will be June 2. She succeeds Steve Largent, who announced last October he would exit the wireless lobby after 11 years.
Comcast Made Rare PR Misstep In Baker Hire
Comcast Corp. was masterful when it pushed its acquisition of NBCUniversal through regulators and lawmakers. That’s why Comcast’s recent stumble in the hiring of FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker as a lobbyist is so surprising. Did Comcast not think there would be any blowback to hiring a regulator who just four months earlier voted to approve its purchase of control of NBCUniversal?
The TV streaming company wants all documents, files and more regarding FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker and ivi.
Meredith Attwell Baker, who announced earlier this week that she was leaving the agency to join the lobbying operations of Comcast, defended her actions on Friday, saying she had no contact with Comcast about potential employment while the company’s merger with NBC Universal was pending before the commission earlier this year.
FCC Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker plans to resign to take a job as the Washington, D.C., representative of NBCUniversal. Baker confirmed that she is leaving the post on June 3, but did not say what her intentions are. Comcast-NBCU, however, issued a release saying she will join Comcast as senior vice president of government affairs, NBCUniversal.
