FCC Names David Waterman Chief Economist

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler today appointed David Waterman as the agency’s chief economist. Waterman is a professor at Indiana University and will start at the FCC in January 2015.

“I’m delighted that David Waterman has agreed to join the commission as our chief economist. His understanding of the communications industries, and of the relationship of market structures to public policy, will allow him to contribute immediately at the FCC. Professor Waterman’s presence will aid in our effort to beef up the role of economics in FCC decision-making,” Wheeler said.

Waterman joins the commission from Indiana University at Bloomington, where he is professor emeritus in the Department of Telecommunications, The Media School.  Waterman’s research centers on communications industries, especially the media. He is an expert on vertical integration and other aspects of market structure in multichannel television, and on the economics of programming, copyright and Internet video distribution. While at the commission, Waterman expects to focus on media-related issues.

Waterman received his undergraduate degree in economics at the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University. Prior to joining Indiana University, he was on the faculty of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California.