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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACTS  January  21,  2005  David  Fiske  202-  418-  0513 
 Richard  Diamond  202-  418-  0506 


 STATEMENT  OF  FCC  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  K.  POWELL  ON  LEAVING  THE  COMMISSION 
 Today,  I  sent  a  letter  to  the  President  thanking  him  for  the  incredible  privilege  of  chairing  the  Federal  Communications  Commission  during  his  first  term.  With  a  mixture  of  pride  and 
 regret  I  informed  him  of  my  intention  to  step  down  as  a  commissioner  and  chairman  some  time  in  March. 


 Having  completed  a  bold  and  aggressive  agenda,  it  is  time  for  me  to  pursue  other  opportunities  and  let  someone  else  take  the  reins  of  the  agency.  During  my  tenure,  we  worked  to 
 get  the  law  right  in  order  to  stimulate  innovative  technology  that  puts  more  power  in  the  hands  of  the  American  people,  giving  them  greater  choices  that  enrich  their  lives.  Evidence  of  our 
 success  can  be  seen  increasingly  in  the  offices,  the  automobiles  and  the  living  rooms  of  the  American  consumer. 


 The  seeds  of  our  policies  are  taking  firm  root  in  the  marketplace  and  are  starting  to  blossom.  The  use  of  cell  phones,  digital  televisions,  personal  video  recorders,  and  digital  music 
 players,  is  exploding.  These  devices  are  increasingly  connected  anytime,  anywhere  by  a  wide  variety  of  broadband  networks  enabling  a  host  of  competitive  services  and  new  applications.  Our 
 children  will  inherit  this  exciting  future. 
 My  only  significant  regret  is  that  I  will  no  longer  have  the  pleasure  and  privilege  of  working  shoulder  to  shoulder  with  the  most  talented  and  dedicated  staff  and  colleagues  that  I 
 have  known.  I  look  forward  to  spending  some  time  off  with  my  wife  and  two  boys,  before  taking  up  my  next  challenge.  They  have  been  wonderfully  supportive  and  patient. 


 –FCC– 
 Attached  are  highlights  from  the  Chairman’s  tenure  at  the  Commission. 
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