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

Will & Grace

I think I was channel surfing one night back in Y2K and landed on this. Wasn't having a good year... Humor eluded me. I gave it 15 minutes then moved on...

thus, it has become my new happy discovery...


Reruns on Lifetime every

week. day. night.

eleven p.m. pacific standard time



there is something so oddly endearing about each of them

that I missed seven years ago....silly me