James H. Quello, Former FCC Commisioner, Passes

James H. Quello, who began as a radio broadcaster and went on to serve as an FCC commissioner for 24 years, died January 24, 2010, at his home in Alexandria, Virginia. He was 95.

According to news reports, the cause was heart and kidney failure.

During his years with the FCC, Quello was known as a champion of free, universal, over-the-air television.

President Richard Nixon appointed Quello to the FCC in 1974. He earned reappointments to the commission until 1998, when he retired. For a period in 1993 he served as acting chairman of the FCC between the tenure of Republican Albert Sikes and Democratic appointee, Reed Hundt.

During World War II, Quello served as Lieutenant and Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army from 1941 to 1945. Extremely active, he took part in six infantry assault amphibious landings in the war theater in Europe and Africa and fought in Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. He related his war stories in his 2001 autobiography, My Wars, Surviving WWII & the FCC.

After the war, Quello worked in the promotions department at WXYZ-AM Detroit, and two years later moved to rival WJR-AM, where he became vice president and general manager in 1960. When Capital Cities Broadcasting purchased WJR, Quello became WJR station manager and a CapCities vice president.

In 1995, Quello was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame and was presented the first Milestone Award by the Institute for Communications Law Studies at The Catholic University of America. He was also the recipient of a Distinguished Service Award from the National Association of Broadcasters in 1994, and from the National Cable Telecommunciations Association in 1997. Quello was named a Giant of American Broadcasting by the Library of American Broadcasting in 2008.

In 1998 Quello’s alma mater, Michigan State University, honored him with the establishment of the James H. and Mary B. Quello Center for Telecommunications Management and Law.