Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Pickering could be new Wheeler

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 25 Jun 2003 20:37:03 -0400

Pickering could be new Wheeler

by Heather Forsgren Weaver and Jeffrey Silva
June 25, 2003 6:34 PM EST

Pickering

WASHINGTON—Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) confirmed to RCR Wireless News Wednesday
that he is under consideration for the top job at the Cellular Telecommunications
& Internet Association, and his statement leaves one to wonder whether he is the
first choice for the job.

“I am under consideration, but my family and I have not made a decision,”
Pickering said through a spokesman.

Pickering is a known ally of the wireless industry and a member of the House
Commerce Committee. He was an aide to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), former majority
leader, during consideration of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. His last
re-election was close, and it is unclear whether he wants to subject himself to
such a bruising again in 2004.
His name has been bandied about for weeks as a possible candidate for the job as
speculation mounted that CTIA wants a well-known Republican to replace the
Democratic Thomas Wheeler.

Regardless of whether it is Pickering or not, the search is definitely on to
replace Wheeler as president. Wheeler pulls down a $2 million salary and oversees
a $40 million budget.
CTIA said Korn Ferry International, a global executive search firm, was hired.
Korn Ferry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Another name mentioned for the CTIA post is former Rep. Dennis Eckart (D-Ohio),
currently president of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association.

Eckart served in the House from 1983 to 1993, during which time he became an
influential member of the House Commerce Committee. After leaving Congress, Eckart
became a high-powered lobbyist, representing CTIA, Motorola Inc., Verizon
Communications Inc. and others.

Eckart, through spokeswoman Kati Tarmann, declined to comment last week on whether
he has been approached or has interest in the top job at CTIA.

The rumor mill has been active with names for months, with high-profile slots at
CTIA and possibly the Motion Picture Association of America up for grabs.

A name that everyone can scratch off their list is Rep. Billy Tauzin (R-La.),
chairman of the House Commerce Committee. Tauzin’s name has repeatedly been
mentioned for the MPAA top job. MPAA President Jack Valenti, a former aid to
President Lyndon Johnson, is in his 80s and is expected to soon retire from what
many consider to be the top lobbying job in Washington. As Tauzin’s name is
chatted about for the MPAA job and it is noted that Hollywood may not be too
favorable to that idea, Tauzin’s name then invariably comes up for the CTIA post.

“As the great American storyteller Mark Twain once wrote, ‘The reports of my death
have been greatly exaggerated.’ Well, unfortunately, so have recent persistent
rumors of my ‘pending retirement,’ ” wrote Tauzin on Wednesday to Republican
members of the House Commerce Committee. “Serving as chairman of the influential
House Energy and Commerce Committee—the oldest and greatest committee in
Congress—is the crowning achievement of my 31-year political career. I worked very
hard to get to the top of this mountain, and I am going to enjoy the view for the
next 3.5 years with a gavel in my hand and a mission in mind. So forget the
rumors. I am running for re-election in 2004.”

http://rcrnews.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?newsId=14061

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Thu, 26 Jun 2003 17:48:09 -0400

Well, it could have been worse.  Billy-Boy Tauzin might have been offered
and might have accepted this same post.  If not wannabe whiz-kid Chip,
then there must be plenty of other candidates for the position who
likewise (as both Chip and Tombo) have virtually no understanding of the
history and tradition of wireless, let alone the technologies involved. 
Pickering has demonstrated little regard for homeland security objectives
in at least two well-known actions prior to 9-11 that had come back to
bite him after that fateful day.  It's a wonder he was reelected at all.

But, commercial mobile wireless services national policy has been running
in an anti-consumer and an antagonistic-to-homeland defense mode for some
years now.  So, what the hell.  Give the boy the job.

Alan Dixon
Contributing Editor
Popular Communications

Many thanks go to my industry colleague Jeff Silva for bringing this
situation to light in his usual outstanding manner.

"Popular Communications is available at Barnes & Noble and other fine
book stores and newsstands."

[Please copy replies to: [email-masked] <wpuc720[a]juno.com>]

On Wed, 25 Jun 2003 20:37:03 -0400 [email-masked] writes:
Pickering could be new Wheeler 
by Heather Forsgren Weaver and Jeffrey Silva 
June 25, 2003 6:34 PM EST 

Pickering 

WASHINGTON—Rep. Chip Pickering (R-Miss.) confirmed to RCR Wireless News
Wednesday that he is under consideration for the top job at the Cellular
Telecommunications & Internet Association, and his statement leaves one
to wonder whether he is the first choice for the job. 

Pickering is a known ally of the wireless industry and a member of the
House Commerce Committee. He was an aide to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.),
former majority leader, during consideration of the Telecommunications
Act of 1996. His last re-election was close, and it is unclear whether he
wants to subject himself to such a bruising again in 2004. 
His name has been bandied about for weeks as a possible candidate for the
job as speculation mounted that CTIA wants a well-known Republican to
replace the Democratic Thomas Wheeler. 

Regardless of whether it is Pickering or not, the search is definitely on
to replace Wheeler as president. Wheeler pulls down a $2 million salary
and oversees a $40 million budget. 
CTIA said Korn Ferry International, a global executive search firm, was
hired. Korn Ferry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 
  
Another name mentioned for the CTIA post is former Rep. Dennis Eckart
(D-Ohio), currently president of the Greater Cleveland Growth
Association. 

Eckart served in the House from 1983 to 1993, during which time he became
an influential member of the House Commerce Committee. After leaving
Congress, Eckart became a high-powered lobbyist, representing CTIA,
Motorola Inc., Verizon Communications Inc. and others. 

Eckart, through spokeswoman Kati Tarmann, declined to comment last week
on whether he has been approached or has interest in the top job at CTIA.

The rumor mill has been active with names for months, with high-profile
slots at CTIA and possibly the Motion Picture Association of America up
for grabs. 

A name that everyone can scratch off their list is Rep. Billy Tauzin
(R-La.), chairman of the House Commerce Committee. Tauzin’s name has
repeatedly been mentioned for the MPAA top job. MPAA President Jack
Valenti, a former aid to President Lyndon Johnson, is in his 80s and is
expected to soon retire from what many consider to be the top lobbying
job in Washington. As Tauzin’s name is chatted about for the MPAA job and
it is noted that Hollywood may not be too favorable to that idea,
Tauzin’s name then invariably comes up for the CTIA post. 

“As the great American storyteller Mark Twain once wrote, ‘The reports of
my death have been greatly exaggerated.’ Well, unfortunately, so have
recent persistent rumors of my ‘pending retirement,’ ” wrote Tauzin on
Wednesday to Republican members of the House Commerce Committee. “Serving
as chairman of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee—the
oldest and greatest committee in Congress—is the crowning achievement of
my 31-year political career. I worked very hard to get to the top of this
mountain, and I am going to enjoy the view for the next 3.5 years with a
gavel in my hand and a mission in mind. So forget the rumors. I am
running for re-election in 2004.” 

--

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Get A Free Psychic Reading! Your Online Answer To Life's Important Questions.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/Lj3uPC/Me7FAA/ySSFAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/