At first sight of the Time Warner Cable testing headline, I said, "whoa, what's going on here?" and for sure I wasn't alone. If you're one of 7.4 million TWC subscribers you had the same reaction. Under the second quarter experiment to be conducted in Beaumont, Texas (do they have cable there? They still sell 8-tracks in Texas) TWC will offer customers tier service based on users' downloaded data per month. The tier allowance will be 5, 10, 20 and 40-gigabyte amounts of data usage. Users who exceed their allotted data plan would be charged a still undetermined metered rate. Kind of like the New York taxi rate: $3 when you get in the cab, the keys to your car for the first quarter mile, gas money to drive your car for each additional quarter mile and the deed to your condo for distances of a mile or more. A bit of an exaggeration, but you get the idea...
Time Warner says not to worry about their new 'experiment'. The heaviest downloaders only represent 5% of the company's user base. They go on to add, the average user will see no meaningful change in the speed of their connection or the amount of data they download per month. Can I have that in writing???
What ever happens to this Time Warner Cable 'experiment', bet on other cable operators to be watching with Marty Feldman eyes. What we need now are watchdog groups and the FCC to do what they're supposed to do, protect the public interest...
10 Timeline Memories:
- 1948] Round & round she goes and where she stops, nobody knows: The precursor of 'American Idol', "The Original Amateur Hour", hosted by Ted Mack moves from radio to television where it runs until 1960 (1/18). Irene Cara was one of its famous winners: http://youtube.com/watch?v=_PrOgQe6lfA ...
- 1953] 'Splain it to me Lucy': A whopping 68% of all TV sets are tuned to "I Love Lucy" as Lucy Ricardo gives birth to a baby boy (1/19). Here's a promo for the show: http://youtube.com/watch?v=OkFxzrkuOjw ...
- 1958] Breaking the color barrier on the ice: Boston Bruin Willie O'Ree becomes the first black NHL player (1/18)...
- 1961] This I swear: John F. Kennedy is sworn in as President (1/20)...1989] George H.W. Bush takes the presidential oath (1/20)...1993] Bill Clinton is sworn in (1/20)...2001] George W. Bush becomes our new President (1/20)...
- 1965] 'Happy Trails': Rock & Roll fans mourn the death of Alan Freed who passed away from uremic poisoning at 43 (1/20). Freed had legions of fans as well as some detractors: http://youtube.com/watch?v=zy5s6w-6lgI ...1993] Audrey Hepburn dies from abdominal cancer at 63 (1/20)...1998] The legendary Carl Perkins dies at 65 from complications of several previous strokes (1/19)...2003] Caricaturist Al Hirschfeld dies in his sleep at 99 (1/20)...2006] Wilson Pickett, 64, passes away after suffering a heart attack (1/19)...2007] Denny Doherty, 66, one of the founders of The Mamas & Papas, dies from kidney failure following surgery (1/19)...
- 1967] Guilty as charged: Self-proclaimed 'Boston Strangler", Albert DeSalvo is convicted in Cambridge of armed robbery, assault and sex-offense charges and sentenced to life in prison (1/18). DeSalvo is killed by a fellow inmate in 1973...1980] Studio 54 owners, Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager are sentenced to 3 years for tax evasion and fined $20,000 (1/18)...2000] Robert F. Kennedy nephew, Michael Skakel surrenders to Greenwich (CT) police to face murder charges in the 1975 death of Martha Moxley, a neighbor (1/19). Skakel is later convicted of the crime and is serving time in prison...
- 1974] Waking the Bruins: Notre Dame stops UCLA's remarkable 88-game winning streak with a 71-70 victory (1/19). The Irish move up to #1 in the polls replacing the Bruins. It marks the first time UCLA wasn't #1 since the 1968 NCAA Championship Tournament...
- 1976] Super Bowl Sunday: The Pittsburgh Steelers win their 2nd consecutive SB on the last play in an exciting 21-17 win over Dallas (1/18)...1985] San Francisco beats Miami 38-16 in Super Bowl XIX. For the first time TV commercials sell for a million a minute (1/20)...
- 1981] Free at Last: Iran releases 52 American hostages, held for 444 days. This happens minutes after Ronald Reagan's inauguration (1/20)...
- 2002] Sometimes it's better to be lucky: The Patriots win their last game at Schaeffer Stadium, defeating Oakland in OT, 16-13 in an AFC Divisional Playoff game played in a snowstorm. The game features the infamous 'Tuck Rule' used to protect QB Tom Brady. An Adam Vinatieri field goal wins it (1/19): http://youtube.com/watch?v=_PJOZIPWfeg&feature=related ...
Music Memories:
- 1961] Number One on this date: "Wonderland by Night" - Bert Kaempfert (1/18)...1971] "Knock Three Times" - Dawn (1/18). Great song but this video has the worst choreography ever: http://youtube.com/watch?v=lqKxggxHIPM ... 1980] "The Wall" - Pink Floyd (1/18)...1986] "That's What Friends Are For" - Dionne Warwick & Friends (Stevie, Gladys and Elton) (1/18). All proceeds went to the 'American Foundation for AIDS Research...1987] "At This Moment" - Billy Vera & Beaters (1/20): http://youtube.com/watch?v=OH4odHVfF5E . The song was featured on 'Family Ties'...
- 1965] Recorded on this date: "Mr. Tambourine Man" (written by Bob Dylan) - Byrds (1/20)...1967] "Sweet Soul Music" - Arthur Conley (1/20): http://youtube.com/watch?v=sp3JOzcpBds ...1969] "In The Ghetto" - Elvis Presley (1/20). It was the first time Elvis recorded in Memphis in 13 years...
Commentary:
From Joe McCoy: "CBS-FM asked me to be a part of their 'Radio Greats' feature on Sunday night, so this Sunday night, Jan. 20th, I'll be doing a DJ show from 7 to 10 on 'my old station', WCBS-FM 101.1. I get to be Rock n' Roll DJ again and have some fun on the radio. If you get a chance listen in. Those outside of the NYC area can hear it on www.wcbsfm.com . Just click 'listen live". Joe, I'll be listening with one ear to you and the other to see who the Patriots will play in the Super Bowl (everything crossed)...Thanks to Ron Alexenburg and Bob Sherwood for informing us that Bud O'Shea is in a nursing home and would love to hear from all his CBS Records and Radio friends. He is taking some limited phone calls at 602-843-8433 or you may write Bud at: The Life Care Center of North Glendale, 13620 North 55th Avenue, Room 323-B, Glendale, AZ, 85304. Bud deserves your support. Get out of that place Bud...Word came this morning of the death of Chess champ, Bobby Fischer. Fischer died in his adopted home of Iceland on Thursday at 64. No cause of death has been given. Even though he denounced his Judaic roots, Fischer was idolized in Brooklyn, where he was born and became a Chess phenom at 14...
"Happy Birthday...happy birthday":
(1/18) Jesse ('Law & Order') Martin (39), Mark Messier (47), Kevin Costner (53), Bobby Goldsboro (67) and Ray Dolby (noise reduction dude) (75)...
(1/19) Junior Seau (39), Katey Sagal (54), Desi Arnaz Jr (55), 'America's' Dewey Bunnell (56), Dolly Parton (62), Shelley Fabares (64), Michael Crawford (66), Phil Everly (69), Robert MacNeil (77), Tippi Hedren (77), Fritz Weaver (82) and Jean Stapleton (85)...
(1/20) Melissa Rivers (40), Rainn ('The Office') Wilson (40), James Denton (45), Lorenzo Lamas (50), Bill Maher (52), Paul Stanley (58), Dorothy Provine (71), Buzz Aldrin (78), Arte Johnson (79) Patricia Neal (82), Slim Whitman (84) and Ray Anthony (86)...
Timeline Countdown for Sunday, January 20, 2008: Both NFL Conference Championships are on the line today: 3 p.m. Chargers at Foxborough for the Pats and the Giants at Green Bay follows, 14 days until the Super Bowl and 25 days until pitchers & catchers report voluntarily...
