The FCC has named Steven Waldman as an adviser to the chairman in its office of strategic planning. According to MediaWeek, Waldman will "lead an open, fact-finding process to study the impact of technology and a weakened economy on the future of media, and make policy recommendations."

If these policy recommendations have anything to do with the FCC's recent proposed Net Neutrality Principles outlined by FCC chairman Julius Genachowski last month, Waldman's past job experience puts him in a good position to weigh both sides of the argument for new Internet regulations.

Waldman's most recent position was as co-founder, president, and editor-in-chief of Beliefnet, "the largest multifaith Web site for religion and inspiration." Yet Beliefnet was bought by News Corp. in 2007, and when Waldman stepped down as CEO that year, he also began writing columns for another News Corp. acquisition The Wall Street Journal, although he continued to work at the religious site. He is leaving Beliefnet and giving up his Journal blog and column as he joins the FCC.

Waldman has also previously worked at US News and World Report and was a national correspondent for Newsweek.

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