Olivia Trusty was officially sworn in as an FCC commissioner by Chairman Brendan Carr on Monday.
Trusty is pictured below with Carr, flanked by sister, Angela, and brother, T.J., with her mom, Ellen, connected via Facetime.
Trusty was confirmed by the Senate last week to fill the seat held by former Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. Commissioners receive five-year term lengths.
Carr took to the commission’s social media platforms to share the announcement.
Current commission leadership
A Republican, Trusty joins Carr in the party’s affiliation, giving the GOP a 2–1 majority. Democrat Anna Gomez rounds out the current three members.
The seats vacated by Republican Nathan Simington and Democrat Geoffrey Starks in June are still awaiting nominations for replacements.
Simington told the Daily Caller that the president should nominate Gavin Wax, whom Simington had picked as his chief of staff earlier this year, to take the seat.
President Trump nominated Trusty to the FCC in January, with the Senate Commerce Committee voting in late April to confirm her and send the nomination to the full Senate for a vote.
Carr wastes no time
Immediately following the confirmation, the Media Bureau sought public comment on the 39% national television ownership caps, as our sister site TVTech reported.
Carr wrote in an accompanying statement that as the media landscape has evolved, the commission has revisited rules on the books — since the 1940s — to account for new advances in technology. “Broadcasters now compete for eyeballs with YouTube stars, social media platforms and streaming services like Hulu and Netflix — not to mention traditional cable and satellite offerings,” he wrote.
The NAB applauded the quick action as an “important step towards modernizing a decades-old rule that limits television broadcasters’ ability to compete in today’s media marketplace.”
While no open comment period has yet been introduced for AM and FM broadcasters, Carr has expressed similar sentiment toward “outdated” ownership rules in radio.
Trusty background
Trusty, 41, is a Baltimore native. She received her bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of North Carolina in 2005 and graduated with a Master of Arts in Government from Georgetown University in 2007.
She has previously worked as a senior consultant for public policy, law and security for Verizon and then as a legislative assistant for Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) in 2013.
Most recently, she worked as a staff member in the U.S. Senate Committee on Armed Services under Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
Trusty’s appointment comes in time for the commission’s open meeting on Thursday.
