Black Attorney Reportedly Will Be Named to FCC by President

WASHINGTON —  President Reagan will nominate Bradley Holmes as a member of the Federal Communications Commission to replace Mark Fowler, who retired as chairman of the agency in April, sources said Friday.

If confirmed by the Senate, Holmes, 33, chief of the policy and rules division of the agency’s Mass Media Bureau, would become the third black commissioner in the history of the agency.

Before taking over the policy and rules division, Holmes was legal adviser to former FCC Chairman Dennis Patrick, starting in May, 1984.

Holmes worked on two of the agency’s most controversial recent decisions--its April ruling to crack down on the broadcasting of indecent material and Tuesday’s action abolishing the fairness doctrine, which for 38 years required broadcasters to air all sides of controversial issues of public importance.

One source said that some Senate Democrats would consider holding up action on Holmes’ nomination because the FCC abolished the doctrine before Congress could renew an effort to write the policy into law.

Holmes reportedly was called to the White House on Friday to be told of Reagan’s decision, which is expected to be announced Monday. The Senate is expected to get the nomination in September or early October.

His term would run until June 30, 1990.

Holmes, a 1978 graduate of Georgetown University Law School and a graduate of Dartmouth College, was an associate with the New York City law firm of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom before working for Patrick.