Obama nominates Mignon Clyburn to second FCC term

President Obama nominated Mignon Clyburn on Wednesday to serve a second term as a commissioner on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Clyburn is the daughter of Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the third-ranking Democrat in the House. The Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination for her first term in July 2009.

Mignon Clyburn is known as a liberal on the five-member commission and is a vocal advocate for media diversity.

Before the FCC, Clyburn chaired the Public Service Commission of South Carolina, a state regulatory agency, and was the publisher and general manager of a Charleston-based weekly-newspaper that focused on issues affecting the African-American community. 

Her re-nomination to the FCC comes just a month after the Senate approved two other nominees, Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel, to fill vacancies on the commission.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) blocked a vote on those nominations for four months in a bid to force the FCC to turn over documents related to its review of wireless company LightSquared. Grassley questioned whether the commission had shown inappropriate favoritism to LightSquared.

Clyburn's term was set expire at the end of the month.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in a statement that Obama made an "outstanding choice."

"As I know from working with her for the past several years, Commissioner Clyburn is a strong leader, focused on helping all Americans harness the benefits of broadband," he said.

—Updated at 6:21 p.m.

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