Clinton Taps Reed Hundt to Head FCC : Appointments: Nominee’s background in antitrust law is cited. He also attended high school with Al Gore.

WASHINGTON —  President Clinton, as expected, will nominate Reed E. Hundt, an antitrust lawyer who went to high school with Vice President Al Gore, to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, the White House announced Tuesday.

Hundt, 45, is known in Washington more as an antitrust litigator than as a communications lawyer. His selection by Clinton was reported earlier this month by The Times.

With television, telephone and computer companies looking for ways to merge their expertise to provide worldwide video and high-tech data transmission, antitrust concerns are a growing factor in the commission’s work.

“Telecommunications innovations are constantly changing the way we as Americans communicate with each other and with the world,” Clinton said in a statement.

“With his years of experience, I am confident Reed Hundt will do an excellent job steering the FCC through the challenges it will face over the next five years,” he said.

Hundt’s nomination requires confirmation by the Senate.

Hundt is an attorney with the law firm Latham & Watkins. He has advised the Wireless Cable Assn., individual cable operators and Hughes Communications in their efforts to ensure access to cable programming, according to Broadcasting & Cable magazine.

He was a classmate of Gore at St. Alban’s prep school in Washington. He also served on the presidential transition team and is reported to have activist regulatory views.

The five-member FCC has been without two commissioners since Alfred Sikes, chairman under President George Bush, and another Republican commissioner, Sherrie Marshall, resigned earlier this year.

Democrat James Quello, 79, who has served on the commission 19 years, has been acting chairman. He has said he does not want the post permanently.