Congress requests FCC documents

A congressional committee Wednesday asked for a trove of documents from the Federal Communications Commission as part of an ongoing investigation of the agency.

The letter requests e-mails, memoranda, handwritten notes, meeting schedules and other records relating to a long list of agency activities dating back to January 2005.

Investigators are seeking documents pertaining to the delay of commission meetings, details surrounding the preparation of various agency reports and guidelines on agency communications “including any limitations or restrictions imposed upon FCC employees’ ability to communicate with each other concerning official agency business.”

The bipartisan request was in a letter sent to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin and signed by the chairmen and ranking members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its oversight subcommittee.

The investigation was first announced in December.

In Wednesday’s letter, the congressmen wrote that the committees investigating “allegations from current and former FCC employees and other sources” that relate to “management practices that may adversely affect the commission’s ability both to discharge effectively its statutory duties and to guard against waste, fraud and abuse.”

FCC spokeswoman Mary Diamond said Wednesday that “we look forward to continuing to cooperate with the committee.”

Among the documents sought were any that contained details related to a November 2004 report that was critical of the concept of cable channel choice, or a la carte.

Martin has been a strong supporter of a la carte, which is opposed by the cable television industry.

Once Martin became chairman, the agency released a second report that was more favorable to the a la carte idea.

The letter asks for records related to the “decision to discard or change the conclusions reached” in the first report.