Richard E. Wiley Named the Most Prominent Telecommunications Lawyer and Lobbyist in Washington

July 6, 2005

Washington, DC—Broadcasting & Cable has named Wiley Rein & Fielding managing partner Richard E. Wiley "the most prominent telecommunications lawyer and lobbyist in Washington."  The accolade appears in a recent article profiling the 10 most powerful behind-the-scenes decision makers currently shaping media policy and setting the tone for the telecommunications debate in DC.

Wiley served as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from 1974 to 1977.  Shortly after leaving the agency, he headed its Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service, a nine-year effort that resulted in the country's digital television standard.  For this achievement Wiley has frequently been called the "Father of High-Definition Television."

Recognizing Wiley's clout as a "hidden persuader," the story notes that, "Eight FCC chairmen have come and gone since he left the agency, but none have the ability to influence telecommunications policy like the Illinois native."  Wiley's own influence is further enhanced, as Broadcasting & Cable observes, by numerous Wiley Rein & Fielding alumni who take senior government posts and then return to the firm, "assuring clients access to Capitol Hill, the FCC and the Oval Office."

Among the WRF "acolytes" mentioned in the article are FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, former FCC Commissioner Sherrie Marshall, former National Telecommunications and Information Administration chief Nancy J. Victory and FCC Media Bureau Chief Donna Gregg and lobbyist Alex Vogel, both of whom also appear on the Broadcasting & Cable power list.