WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee on Tuesday approved another five-year term for Republican Kevin Martin to serve on the Federal Communications Commission, which regulates the communications, television and radio industries.

Martin, 39, has been chairman of the agency since March 2005 and an FCC commissioner since 2001. His nomination must now be voted on by the full Senate.

The FCC faces numerous major issues in the months and years ahead, including whether to approve No. 1 U.S. telephone carrier AT&T Inc.'s (T.N: Quote, Profile, Research) planned purchase of No. 3 local phone company BellSouth Corp. (BLS.N: Quote, Profile, Research)

The agency also is considering whether to ease ownership restrictions that limit how many television and radio stations a company can own in a market and whether to lift a ban barring a company from owning a newspaper and a radio or a television station in the same market.

The committee also approved the nomination of John Kneuer, 38, to become the head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration in the Commerce Department.