Report: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Said to Be Leaving Agency

UPDATE (10/22): It’s official, Julias Genachowski will leave the FCC in the next few weeks. Here’s a portion of the announcement via FCC.gov.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced today that he will be stepping down from his post in the coming weeks. Nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the Senate in 2009, Genachowski has led the FCC during a time of rapid growth and transformative change in the Technology, Media & Telecommunications sector, particularly around broadband – high-speed Internet.

From Bloomberg: 

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is leaving his post, according to a person familiar with the matter, setting up a second vacancy on the five-member U.S. agency that regulates telephone, cable and broadcast companies.
Genachowski, a Democrat, will announce his departure from the Federal Communications Commission tomorrow, said the person, who asked to not be named in discussing a personnel matter. Neil Grace, an FCC spokesman, declined to comment.
To replace the 50-year-old Genachowski, President Barack Obama could elevate either of the agency’s two Democrats, or name a chairman from two new members who will need Senate confirmation.
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Genachowski’s focus on expanding access to high-speed wireless Internet service, or mobile broadband, broke with some priorities of his predecessors. His FCC levied no fines for broadcast indecency, after a flurry of penalties under Republican chairmen from 2003 to 2008, and he didn’t complete a loosening of media-ownership rules.

Earlier today, IMLS Director Susan Hildreth mentioned a meeting with Genachowski in a blog post about the launch of the “EveryoneOn” awareness. campaign.
Genachowski released a video at ALA 2013 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle where he thanks the library community for their digital literacy efforts. A summary and the video are available in this post. 
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