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Powell, the son of retiring Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites), failed to relax ownership restrictions on media conglomerates hoping to expand, but was able to ease telephone network sharing rules benefiting the big local carriers.
He was also pushed by his fellow commissioners to crack down on indecent antics on television and radio after a raft of incidents that included brief nudity and profanity on the air. The agency has since sought millions of dollars in fines.
But the 41-year-old Republican persuaded the FCC (news - web sites) to avoid regulating new services like high-speed Internet, or broadband; pushed through requirements aimed at accelerating the transition to digital television, and empowered consumers to switch wireless carriers and keep their telephone number.
Powell told Reuters that he would leave after the FCC's March 10 meeting and was satisfied he had largely completed the agenda he set when he became chairman.
"I'm a big believer that you ought to set a mission for yourself and when you complete it, you should move on to other challenges," said Powell. "I think it's just a natural break."
He said he has no immediate plans for the future but may someday run for political office. Some speculate Powell may become president of his alma mater, the College of William & Mary, in Williamsburg, Virginia.
Possible successors at the FCC could include current Republican Commissioner Kevin Martin, former Texas Public Utility Commission Chair Becky Klein, Pat Wood who heads the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (news - web sites), and Earl Comstock, a former aide to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens, according to analysts and industry watchers.
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