What started out as "White Space" is now referred to as "Spectrum" but whether you sell, auction or even slice and dice it, it's neither owned or licensed - by anyone. Radio spectrum is government regulated in some countries, none of which are named the United States of America. Thanks to former FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, there's a war over the use of spectrum for additional radio signals which would then be used for broadband and all kinds of electronic technologies. Back in October of 2008, it was Martin who announced his support for the use of white spaces within the radio frequency spectrum. White spaces are airwaves that go unused after the federally mandated transformation of analog TV signal to digital. Martin told us that he was "hoping to take advantage of utilizing these airwaves for broadband services to allow for unlicensed technologies and new innovations in that space." I hope you know he had no right to do that since the FCC neither owns or regulates that space. It didn't matter - it was done. Three years later the fight rages over ownership of that space...
Larry Downes of Forbes raises several good points in his assessment of the spectrum mess, in addition to the white space being unlicensed and unowned. "Usable spectrum is limited. Technological improvements have made it possible to increase the range, and to make more effective use of both the licensed and unlicensed components. As new demands for spectrum - especially for mobile broadband - force us to recognize very real limits to the finite spectrum it has, calls are getting louder to revisit current licensed uses to ensure the public's best interests are being served, now and in the near and midterm future." And where is this unused spectrum coming from? "At this point, the only way to allocate spectrum for new uses and users is to deallocate it from someone who already has it, whether a commercial or government user." ...
If the FCC turns "voluntary" auctions for spectrum, to "involuntary" auctions, should not enough sellers volunteer the space, I hope they have the ability to manage what would follow - chaos at a level they've never before experienced...
10 Timeline Memories:
1.1930] TV to follow: Clarence Birdseye develops a method for quick-freezing food. It will be known as the TV dinner (3/6)…
2.1952] Wedding Bells: Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis tie the knot (3/4). They will be married until Reagan's death in June, 2004...
3.1963] ‘Happy Trails’: Legendary Country artist Patsy Cline dies in a small plane crash in Camden (TN) returning from a Kansas City benefit for the widow of a local disc jockey. Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins and Patsy’s pilot/manager were also killed (3/5)…
4.1973] Wife swap: Yankees pitchers Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich arrive at spring training and announce that they have swapped wives, children and dogs. Within two years both players are gone from baseball. Had Fox been around, this would have been the first reality series (3/5)…
5.1978] Gunned down: Hustler publisher Larry Flynt is shot and paralyzed permanently by a sniper in Georgia who objected to an interracial couple appearing in the magazine (3/6)...
6.1981] ‘And that’s the way it is’: The words of Walter Cronkite who does his final “CBS Evening News” report which started on April 16, 1962 (3/6)…
7.1982] SNL death: John Belushi dies of a drug overdose in a Hollywood hotel room. Belushi was just 33 (3/5)…
8.1990] Gathers is gone: One of the leading scorers in NCAA history, Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount suddenly collapses and dies during a game against Portland at 23. Gathers who was projected as a 1st round pick suffered from a heart muscle disorder (3/4)…
9.1993] Neighborhood crime: A woman is gang-raped on a pool table in a New Bedford (MA) tavern. Four men are later convicted in a case that rocks the nation (3/6). Jodie Foster starred in “The Accused” which was based on this case…
10.2004] Not a good thing: Martha Stewart is convicted of obstructing justice and lying to the government about why she unloaded Imclone stocks just before the price dropped. Bernie Madoff takes notes (3/5)…
Music Memories:
- 1955] Elvis (sigh)ting: Elvis Presley makes his first TV appearance on "Louisiana Hayride." This clip is from January 1955. On the same date Elvis is honorably discharged from the Army (3/5)...
- 1959] Recorded on this date: "There Goes My Baby" - Drifters (3/6)...1976] "Rich Girl" - Hall & Oates (3/4)...
- 1966] Number One on this date: "Ballad of the Green Berets" - S/Sgt. Barry Sadler (3/6)...
- 1976] Released on this date: "Rhiannon" - Fleetwood Mac (3/6)...
"WRKO...The Launch" (Part 4) (March marks the 44th anniversary of WRKO Boston. All month long, I will be serializing the story behind the actual launch of what would become one of the country's legendary Top 40 radio stations and today continues to be a mainstay with a N/T format in New England)...
By March 6, 1967, The press let the world in on what was no longer a secret. Boston was getting a new Top 40 station. WRKO was about to launch the following week. Eleanor Roberts, music and radio/TV critic of the Boston Traveler (which will soon be absorbed into the Boston Herald) mentions that the Now Crowd will debut on March 13. The new WRKO jock lineup is now listed in all local newspapers. Billboard magazine's "Vox Jox" reports that (a) Arnie Ginsburg has joined WRKO to do 6pm to 9pm. They also mention that (b) Al Gates is already at the station. As the disc jockeys rehearse their shows, the management team is ready for the launch...
In addition to Henabery and Ury, the staff consisted of Promotion Director (c)Harvey Mednick, News Director (d) Roger Allan and Director of Engineering, (e)George Capalbo. Harvey, who would become a brilliant promotion guy would eventually leave us for flagship station KHJ and then RKO corporate. George and I started on the same day in August 1966 and met on a plane headed for Harris Electronics to order the automation for WRKO. George would work his way up to corporate, like Harvey. Roger was already an award winning News Director and a carry-over from WNAC. Sales was headed by Bud Simen who had a strong staff that had to learn how to sell a new format. Bill Wayland and Dick Woodies would become two of the sales stars who would make the grade and survive. And I programmed WRKO-FM and was defacto Music & Production Director for both the FM & AM until (f) Paul Power was hired. After 8 years of disc jockeying, I was now a programmer - or so I thought. I did not expect to be doing morning drive shortly after WRKO was launched but I was in for a big surprise...
(a) Under "Photo Collections-Arnie Ginsburg") (b) "Publicity Photos-Al Gates") (c) "Now Happenings") (d) "WRKO People-Roger Allan" (e) "Miscellaneous" (f) "WRKO People" -Paul Power")...
(Monday: "WRKO...The Launch") (Part 5) (The Count Down Begins)...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday": (3/4) Chaz Bono (42), Steven Weber (50), Patricia Heaton (53), Catherine O'Hara (57), Bobby Womack (67), Paula Prentiss (73) & disc jockey jokebook writer Bob Orben (84)...(3/5) Niki Taylor (36), Eva Mendes (37), Penn Jillette (56), Marsha Warfield (57), Eddy Grant (63), Murray Head (65), Fred Williamson (73) and Dean Stockwell (75)...(3/6) Shaquille O'Neal (39), Cathie Brady (51), Tom Arnold (52), Kiki Dee (64), Rob Reiner (64), Mary Wilson (67), Ivan Boesky (74), Sylvia Robinson (75), Ivan Boesky (74 ) & Alan Greenspan (85)...
Timeline Countdown: 9 days until Daylight time, 16 days until spring, 27 days until MLB Opening Day, 46 days until Passover & 51 days until Easter...
