EVEN MORE UPDATED THAN THE LAST UPDATED UPDATE: All five of the FCC's commissioners have taken the ALS ice bucket challenge, according to YouTube videos documenting the events and an aide to FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler.
The challenge to the commissioners came from former FCC commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker, now head of CTIA, who took the challenge while visiting AT&T in Atlanta last week.
FCC chairman Tom Wheeler took the challenge on a Chesapeake Bay dock over the weekend while on vacation with his family (he also donated). A video has been posted on Facebook. He challenged former FCC chairs Mike Copps, Mike Powell (who has already taken the plunge oer below) and Kevin Martin, and Dick Wiley
Jessica Rosenworcel took one for the team late Tuesday (Aug. 19), donating and challenging three others to do the same.
Originally, the deal with the challenge was to either dump water on your head OR donate, but that left people wondering if the drenching was in lieu of donations, which would be the wrong signal to send. Now it appears to have morphed into doing both.
Rosenworcel challenged former FCC chairman Reed Hundt, skier Lindsey Vaughn (her favorite Olympian) and Big Bird.
FCC Commissioner Ajit Pai dumped the bucket on himself over the weekend, saying it was in part in memory of an aunt who had died of the disease, and challenged another former chairman, Julius Genachowski, former NFL tight end Tony Gonzalez and "the judge in the highest court in the land, Judge Judy."
Commissioner Mike O'Rielly said that since he believed in private charities — perhaps a bit moreso than government handouts — he would be glad to both donate and take the challenge.
Hill telecom staffers called out by O'Rielly also took buckets for charity.
FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn on Wednesday (Aug. 20) added her name and wet head to the roll of commissioners--now four out of five--who have taken the ice bucket challenge to raise money for ALS, as this latestYouTube video attests.
Clyburn challenged five others to follow suit: Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.), chair of the House Communications Subcommittee; Condoleeza Rice, her father, James Clyburn (D-S.C.); former FCC commissioner Rob McDowell, and former chairman Michael Powell.
Genachowski e-mailed to say his family had beaten Pai to the punch--or ice dump, as it were--"Happy to have been challenged by Ajit Pai," he said. "My 22-year-old son had already beaten him to it, challenging me over the weekend! And my 10-year-old daughter did the ice-bucket honors on Monday," he said, adding that he had also contributed. Genachowski said he has no video of the event, just a photo only being shared with family.
Hundt also checked in to say he would be taking Rosenworcel up on the challenge Friday (Aug. 22), and would supply a video when it became available. He took issue with the lack of evidence on the Genachowski dunking. "I demand video proof of a thorough dunking," said Hundt.
At press time, National Cable & Telecommunications Association President Michael Powell had just completed the challenge, appropriately while watching cable TV, and gave "my main rapper man, M.C. Hammer; Congressman Harold Ford Jr.; and [ObjectVideo CEO and friend] Raul Fernandez" 24 hours to do likewise. He did not specify whether Fernandez was the Object Video CEO or the Peruvian football player.
Reed Hundt added himself to the "Bucket" list Friday with a classy tribute, sassy shout-out, and sufficient ice.
Hundt said that in addition to taking the ice, he was making a contribution to the ALS foundation in memory of his friends John and Patricial, who died of ALS. "Whenever they had a chance in life they chose to laugh instead for cry," he said, "and I know they would enjoy the dunking I am about to receive."
He extended the challenge to FCC General Counsel Jonathan Salet and to Cameron Diaz, adding "whose movies I hope will never be suitable for broadcast television."
And add Ajit Pai's chief of staff, Matthew Berry, and one of his challengee's, Pai advisor Nick Degani, to the FCC bucket list, as the hits just keep on coming.
Add another D.C. trade association head to the list. Here is the ice bucket challenge--actually a trash can manned by his three sons and Ole Miss students--accepted by former congressman and current Comptel CEO Chip Pickering, among whose shout-outs was his opposite number at NAB and also former member of Congress, Gordon Smith.
