Pai Names Deputy Director, Legislative Affairs

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has tapped FCC legislative affairs vet Jim Balaguer to be the new deputy director of the office.

The Office of Legislative Affairs is the liaison between the commission and the Hill. Currently the chairman is taking fire from Democrats there on network neutrality and media mergers, while getting props from Republicans for his deregulatory agenda.

“Jim has a well-deserved reputation for excellence on legislative issues, both within the agency and on Capitol Hill, and I thank him for agreeing to take on this new role,” said Pai of the appointment. “We’ve come to rely on Jim’s political acumen, experience, and dedication.”

Balaguer has been associate director and senior legislative analyst in the office since 2010, where he has worked on issues including universal service, the IP transition, and broadband adoption.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.