Michael Powell (politician)
Michael K. Powell (born March 23, 1963) is an American politician and a Republican. He was appointed to the Federal Communications Commission by President Bill Clinton on 3 November 1997. President George W. Bush designated him chairman of the commission on 22 January 2001. Powell is the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Powell was an officer in the United States Army, but was unable to serve after sustaining an injury during a training mission, for which he spent a year in the hospital. He also served as an expert advisor to the Secretary of Defense.
After graduating from the Georgetown University Law Center, Powell worked as a private attorney as well as in the antitrust division of the justice department.
As the chairman of the FCC, Powell has been a proponent of relaxing regulations on media ownership, which critics claim merely leads to greater concentration without sufficient benefits. He has also argued for stiffer fines and stricter enforcement of indecency regulations.
