Monday, July 30, 2007

Wasteland….the vast kind

This is how Newton N. Minow (then chairman of the FCC) described television forty six years ago….. well, sort of

First he said it was good…the best actually
Then he pulled the ‘vast wasteland’ curve ball…..with qualifications



All in a speech titled “Television and the Public Interest” on May 9, 1961


read it here


1961….back when there were only THREE channels (networks)
Wonder if Newt new how vast that wasteland would get, or how amazingly wonderful





Roots on ABC Jan. 30, 1977 seen in (36.38 million homes)


third highest viewer ratings from 1950 - 2000


the highest?..................................... last episode of M.A.S.H and television has only gotten better




When television is good, nothing is better. When it's bad, nothing is worse.”
-Newton N. Minow

4 comments:

Dx said...

If only I could follow my favoiurite programmes. They seem to be on different channels every week. Frustrates me.

captain corky said...

Fuck him. TV is always great!

Mx said...

Hi dx...thanks for stopping in...programming here is pretty stable....until the season ends and ratings come out....then its gets mixed up a bit, for the best prime time spots.



Hey Corky
Don’t get me started... I have such issues with the whole satellite vs. cable and unavailable programming thing.... and the FCC (or congress) could give a continental hoop-la...

The Wiki-wrap up on him has some pretty funny stuff..(if you can believe wikipedia)
As in, the writers of Gilligan’s Island named the boat u.s.s. Minnow as a sarcastic tribute to Newt.
I like your new pic.
Hugs to baby boy
Shell

Anonymous said...

Hehehe, thanks for the youtube link. I coulda been that guy on the show. I didn't spend as much time on hold as he did, but I spent more time with the customer service rep. than he did. It does make me feel better to know I'm not the only one who got badgered! I should have been more direct with my guy than I was!