(Memorial Day Weekend Edition)
They may have broadband on their minds but the FCC must right the wrong of 1996 in order to keep radio from sliding back into a third-world media source. Since Congress established the radio rule in 1996 and the FCC set up the TV/radio rule three years later, empires have been built to crumble and fall. The rules relaxed previous ownership limits far too much. The seven FM, seven AM and seven TV stations rule (7-7-7) allowed Clear Channel, Citadel and other corporations to dominate radio with ownership of thousands of stations. In 1996, there were 10,257 commercial radio stations with 5,133 owners, according to the FCC. Today there are less commercial stations and 39% fewer owners: 11,202 (total includes public radio & LPFM) and 3,143 respectively. And how has deregulation affected revenue???
Advertising revenue for radio has fallen by almost 11% between 2006 and 2008. Between 2008 and 2009, revenue fell about 22%. During the same timeline, advertising's new darling, the Internet, grew 25% (between 2006 and 2008), before taking a nap and dropping 5% (between 2008 and 2009)...
The FCC is now looking for answers. They'd like to know if we still need radio ownership limits. My belief is that whatever the FCC rules on the future of radio ownership and consolidation they better have a more effective litmus test for potential buyers then they had from 1996 on or else people will remember the good old days when we had over 11,000 (total includes public radio & LPFM) radio stations and 39% fewer owners...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1907] Taxiiiiiiii: The first taxis in the U.S. arrive in New York City followed by an increase in traffic accidents and fights (5/31)...
2.1953] Because it was there: Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest (5/29)…
3.1957] Westward ho: The National League approves the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to Los Angeles and San Francisco (5/28). The Mets will come along in 1962 when the National League returns to New York…
4.1970] The people's choice: Baseball's All-Star Game voting returns to the fans so they can vote .220 hitters into the game (5/30). You've gotta have a criteria for voting, people...
5.1973] Gotcha: Columbia Records President Clive Davis is fired for allegedly misappropriating company funds. Clive continues to thrive in his late 70s (5/29) after making a remarkable comeback…
6.1982] They call it the streak: 21-year old Baltimore third baseman Cal Ripken Jr. begins his consecutive game streak (5/30). He will eventually move to shortstop but his streak will last more than 13 years and 3 months and break Lou Gehrig's previous consecutive game streak record...
7.1989] Bumper cars at the Indy: Emerson Fittipaldi and Al Unser Jr. play bumper cars at the Indy 500 with Unser helping Fittipaldi to win the race - not what Unser had in mind (5/28)…
8.1998] ‘Happy Trails’: Former Arizona Senator and Republican presidential candidate Barry "Mr. Conservative" Goldwater dies at 89 from complications of a stroke (5/29)…
9.1998] Another SNL tragedy: Comic Phil Hartman, 49, of “Saturday Night Live” and “Newsradio” is shot to death at his home in California by his wife Brynn who then takes her own life (5/28)…
10.2005] Vanishing teen: American teen Natalee Holloway is last seen leaving a bar with three young men while vacationing in Aruba before disappearing (5/30). Her body has never been found...
Music Memories:
•1942] Recorded on this date: "White Christmas" - Bing Crosby (5/29)...1968] The Beatles begin recording their White Album (5/30)...1969] "Honky Tonk Women" - Rolling Stones (5/31)...1969] "Give Peace A Chance" - John Lennon and Yoko Ono (recorded 5/31 at one of their bed-ins)...
•1957] #1 on this date: "Love Letters in the Sand" - Pat Boone (my favorite P.B. hit)(5/31)...1963] "It's My Party" - Lesley Gore (5/30)...1964] "Love Me Do" - The Beatles (5/30)...1971] "Brown Sugar" - Rolling Stones (5/29)...1972] "I'll Take You There" - Staple Singers (5/31)...1973] "My Love" - Paul McCartney & Wings (5/30)...
•1969] Released on this date: "My Cherie Amour" - Stevie Wonder (5/31)...1975] "One of these Nights" - Eagles (5/31)...1982] "Combat Rock" LP - Clash (5/31)...1982] "Eye of the Tiger" - Survivor (5/31)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (5/28) Elizabeth Hasselbeck of 'The View' (33), John Fogerty (65), Billy Vera (66), Gladys Knight (66), Rudolph Giuliani (66), NBA logo silhouette Jerry West (72) and Carroll Baker (79)...(5/29) Melissa Etheridge (49), Annette Bening (52), LaToya Jackson (54), Rebbie Jackson (60), correspondent Bob Simon (69), Al Unser, Sr. (71), former baseball commissioner Fay Vincent (72)...(5/30) Manny Ramirez (38), Wynonna Judd (46), Ted ('Ace' on 'Love Boat') McGinley (52), Pro Football Hall of Famer Gayle Sayers (67), Michael J. Pollard (71), Keir ("2001") Dullea (74) and Clint "Cheyenne" Walker (83)...(5/31) Colin Farrell (34), Robert Dean Phillips (43 - Happy Birthday Rob), Brooke Shields (45), DMC aka Darryl McDaniel (46), Joe Namath (67), Sharon Gless (67), Peter Yarrow (72) and Clint Eastwood (80)...
Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Memorial Day, 8 days until the Belmont Stakes, 23 days until Father's Day and 24 days until summer...
