The week started well for this new FCC administration but it didn't take long for it to come crashing down on Julius Genachowski, the Federal Communication Commission Chairman. First the good news. The FCC was named the "most improved" government agency this year, based on the results of a government-wide survey. This left-handed compliment came from a survey which is administered by the Office of Management and Budget to gauge job satisfaction and motivation within agencies. Here's an idea for a new government survey - finding out what the Office of Management and Budget does. Genachowski gratefully accepted his agency's award: "I am delighted that the FCC has been recognized as the 'most improved' federal agency. The survey results reflect the hard work being done throughout the agency to make the FCC a model of excellence in government." The week should have ended there for the FCC because that's all the good news they would receive...
Most broadcasting people are not very fond of the status-quo ownership rules in effect and when the FCC asked for comments as part of the agency's quadrennial review, they got it. On Monday, the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) called for modest reform of the rules, including the elimination of cross-ownership rules and reform of the TV duopoly rule. In addition to urging the FCC to eliminate newspaper-broadcast and radio-TV cross ownership rules, the NAB also made the case that the FCC should allow TV duopolies in markets of all sizes. The broadcasting lobby also called for relaxation of the local radio ownership rules. In their filing the NAB wrote "Simply put, it is untenable to maintain broadcast-only restrictions on the assumption that common ownership of stations could somehow reduce the ability of consumers to access diverse information or harm competition in the information marketplace." If Genachowski is as smart as we think he is, he won't monkey too much with that concept. It wasn't deregulation that killed radio, it was the people operating radio...
The rotten cherry on the cake for the FCC was that appellate court ruling that tossed out the FCC's indecency policy yesterday, ruling that it violates the First Amendment and admonishing it for vague enforcement of incidents like the Janet Jackson "wardrobe malfunction" and Bono's f-bombs on an award show. Genachowski has already announced that the FCC is appealing the ruling. You sure you wanted this job Julius???
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1881] A legend dies: Outlaw William H. Bonney Jr., alias Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Sheriff Pat Garrett...
2.1921] Showing who's boss: Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are convicted in Dedham (MA) of killing a shoe company paymaster and his guard. They will be executed in 1927...
3.1946] Dr. Spock makes a house call: "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care" is published. To date, the book has sold over 50 million copies with no end in sight. Here's the good doctor...
4.1958] The fun begins in Iraq: The army of Iraq overthrows the monarchy...
5.1965] No need to get the red eye out: American space probe Mariner 4 makes a fly-by of Mars and sends back photos...
6.1966] Killing Spree: 25-year old Richard Speck goes on a rampage in a Chicago dormitory killing 8 student nurses. Speck will die of a heart attack in prison in 1991. No one claims his body which is cremated...
7.1970] All-Star highlight: In one of the most famous of all All-Star game plays, Pete Rose bowls over catcher Ray Fosse to score and never stopped talking about it...
8.1976] Mr. Peanut: Jimmy Carter wins the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in New York. Jimmy wins the presidency but loses when he takes on Ronald Reagan in 1980...
9.1999] School busing busted: Race-based school busing in Boston ends after 25 years...
10.2004] Not that there's anything wrong with that: The Senate votes 50-48 against a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage. John McCain and Ellen Degeneres discuss the issue recently...
Commentary: Until the end of the 1995 season I had been a lifelong Yankee fan although I had become unhappy with George Steinbrenner's hiring and firing of managers and constant meddling in operational matters. Spurred by the loss of Don Mattingly to retirement and a manager I really liked (Buck Showalter), I decided to do something about it - I cancelled the partial season ticket plan I had for 17 years. Why should I continue to root for this team? Why should I continue to contribute to the Boss's mismicromanagement of the Yankees? That was the end of my rooting interests in the team I loved since I was 9. My timing was not good because thanks to Showalter's development of young talent, the Yankees would win 4 world series under Joe Torre's watch. They would add another title just last year. Principles are principles after all and I never looked back, never went back to being a fan. These days my allegiance is to the Boston Red Sox, the arch enemy of the Yankees with a local interest in the Mets, another arch enemy. All that aside, George Steinbrenner will go down as one of the greatest team owners in the history of sports. Since he bought the team in 1973 from CBS, he guided the Yankees by putting his money where his mouth was, to 7 World Series titles and 11 American League pennants. Like him or not, his body of work is unmatched in modern times...
Music Memories:
•1950] #1 on this date: "Mona Lisa" - Nat "King" Cole. No one sang a better ballad than Nat "King" Cole...1960] "I'm Sorry" - Brenda Lee..•1967] Opening for The Who: In a rather bizarre pairing, The Who opens for Herman's Hermits in New York City... •1973] Breaking up is hard to do: The Everly Brothers break up on stage at the John Wayne Theatre in Buena Park (CA) as Phil slams down his guitar and storms off in the middle of a song. The Everly Brothers in better times...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
Matthew Fox (44), Tommy Mottola, Jr. (61), Rosey Grier (78), Polly Bergen (80), Harry Dean Stanton (84) and Dale Robertson (87)...
Timeline Countdown: In 10 days the NFL training camps will begin opening, 11 days until the MLB Hall of Fame induction (Andre Dawson, Doug Harvey & Whitey Herzog) & 24 days until the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction...
