Robert McDowell

FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell announced at today's monthly public meeting that he will soon be stepping down from the Commission. McDowell joined the FCC in 2006 and is its longest-tenured Commissioner. His term had been set to expire in June of 2014.

McDowell told the meeting, "After nearly seven years of carrying out the incredibly high honor of serving the American people at the FCC, it is time to turn more of my energies towards an even higher calling: serving my family.  After a great deal of deliberation, I have decided that I will step down as a commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission in a few weeks," according to Broadcasting & Cable.

There have been rumors for some time that FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski could exit later this year as well.

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith has released a statement on McDowell's announcement, saying, "Robert McDowell has been a remarkably gifted public servant during his seven-year tenure at the FCC. His good humor and grace have been matched only by his ardent support for fair media ownership rules and full-throated support for a vibrant First Amendment. Commissioner McDowell will succeed in whatever path he chooses, and NAB wishes him well."