Powell to step down as chairman of FCC, officials say By STEPHEN LABATON and JOHN O’NEIL WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 - Michael K. Powell will step down today as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, officials there said, ending a four-year term that was marked by the tightening of standards on decency and attempts to loosen restrictions on media ownership. ADVERTISEMENT Mr. Powell was appointed to the commission in 1997 by President Bill Clinton and promoted to chairman by President Bush in 2001. Associates of Mr. Powell’s have reported for months that he planned to leave after the conclusion of Mr....
