(Weekend Edition)
Rather than crafting new indecency rules, this FCC administration led by Julius Genachowski has decided to ask a U.S. Court of Appeals to reconsider last month's ruling to table the government's restrictions on indecent speech on TV and radio broadcasts. The court ruled that some of the FCC's policies on indecent speech violated broadcasters First Amendment rights and questioned the agency's broader indecency restrictions. Rather than being proactive, the FCC has delayed the inevitable - the setting of more clearly defined indecency rules. Now you can look for a Supreme Court challenge to the government's authority to restrict speech on the airwaves and the FCC has no one to blame but itself...
"The three-judge panel's decision in July raised serious concerns about the Commission's ability to protect children and families from indecent broadcast programming" says FCC general counsel Austin Schlick. He added that "The Commission remains committed to empowering parents and protecting children, and looks forward to the court of appeals' further consideration of our arguments." But if the court considered the FCC's indecency policies a violation of the First Amendment, why would it reconsider their decision? Because the FCC is asking them to without more clearly defining their policies? I don't think so...
It is widely known that FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski's expertise is in technology, a tremendous asset to have at a time when media is being transformed into this great new digital era but until he designs more clearly defined indecency rules and regulations - that don't violate the First Amendment, this FCC administration will be deemed a failure. With more indecency cases pending, this should be more of a priority than new technology...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1922] Spot Radio is born: The 1st radio commercial airs on WEAF (which becomes WNnnnnBC) in New York City and no it was not a commercial for Carvel or Castro Convertibles, it was a 10-minute ad for the Queensboro Realty Co. which cost $100 to air (8/28)...
2.1963] "I have a dream": A quarter of a million people participate in a peaceful civil rights rally in Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. eloquently delivers his "I have a dream" speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial (8/28)...
3.1963] Hotline: The hotline communications line between Washington and Moscow goes into operation. This was the second most important hotline after the Drake batphone (8/29). While campaigning, Barack Obama talks about the phone...
4.1967] Curtains: Dr. Richard Kimble stops running: The last episode of "The Fugitive" draws 72% of the TV audience as Kimble is freed in a wild water tower chase where Lt. Philip Gerard kills the one-armed guy who was about to kill the good doctor. A witness agrees to testify that the one-armed dude killed Kimble's wife (8/29)...
5.1968] Democracy at work?: Police and anti-war demonstrators clash in the streets of Chicago as the Democrats nominate Hubert H. Humphrey for president (8/28)...
6.1972] Gold Standard: Swimmer Mark Spitz captures the first of 7 gold medals at the Munich Olympics. Michael Phelps is yet to be born (8/28)...
7.1982] Legal larceny: 23-year old Rickey Henderson steals his 119th base, breaking Lou Brock's season record. Rickey still holds the career record of 1,406 SB's (8/27)...
8.1984] Teacher in Space: President Ronald Reagan announces his "Teacher in Space" project, 11,000 teachers apply and Christa McAuliffe of New Hampshire is selected but will tragically lose her life aboard Challenger. Barbara Morgan, a former teacher and part of the program returned safely from her mission a few years ago (8/27)...
9.1992] Sold to the highest bidder: John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "A Day In The Life" are sold for $87,000 at auction (8/27)...
10.2005] Katrina the killer: Hurricane Katrina makes landfall along the Louisiana coast, overwhelming the levees protecting New Orleans. The massive flooding takes more than 1,500 lives (8/29)...
Music Memories:
•1961] Released on this date: "Please Mr. Postman" - Marvelletes, the 1st #1 pop hit for Motown (8/28)...1964] "Oh, Pretty Woman" - Roy Orbison (8/29)...1965] "Highway 61 Revisited" LP - Bob Dylan (8/27)...1966] "Cherish" - Association (8/27)...1970] "Lola" - Kinks (8/29)...
•1964] Live from Forest Hills: On the day the Beatles appear on the cover of LIFE magazine, they play at the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium before a sellout crowd of 16,000 in the 1st of 2 shows (8/28). Cousin Brucie and Scott Muni interview Ringo Starr...
•1966] The Beatles Last Date: The Fab Four play their last U.S. date at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. Bob Sherwood still has tickets for that show, worth more than an original share of GM, no doubt (8/29)...
•1971] #1 on this date: "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" - Paul McCartney (8/29)...1982] "Abracadabra" - Steve Miller (8/29)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (8/27) Paul Reubens a.k.a. Pee Wee Herman (58), Tuesday Weld (67), Daryl Dragon a.k.a. The Captain (68) & Tommy Sands (73)...(8/28) Leann Rimes (28), Jason Priestly (41), Jack Black (41), Shania Twain (45), Scott Hamilton (52), Ron Guidry (60), David Soul (67), Lou Piniella (67), Ben Gazzara (80) and Billy Grammer (85)...(8/29) Lea Michele (24), Rebecca DeMornay (51), Robin Leach (69), Elliott Gould (72), Senator John McCain (74) and Richard Attenborough (87)...
Timeline Countdown: 10 days until Labor Day, 13 days until the NFL opener (Minn. @ New Orleans) & 27 days until autumn arrives...
