Embedded with the FCC…

Friday, June, 27, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

(Weekend Edition) 

The American Heritage Dictionary which supplies Dictionary.com  with online definitions must amend their dictionary on-the-fly.  The first time I heard the word “embedded” used for “assigning (a journalist) to travel with a military unit during an armed conflict” was during the Iraq war when Wolf Blitzer brought in a report from some CNN correspondent “embedded with the troops.”  At first I thought he said “in bed with” - well same thing, right?  Just FYI, the above Dictionary.com definition was listed under “imbedded” but the word apparently can start with either “e” or “i”.  Back on June 10th (”FCC Commisioner Takes On The Media and Government” in my archives) I wrote a feature on FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein who took on the media in a speech about “thinly disguised payola” being used both on TV and radio in the form of subtle viewings and mentions of commercial product without identifying them as such.  Well according to yesterday’s notice of inquiry issued by the FCC, the agency is taking that “thinly disguised payola” seriously…

In its introduction the FCC will “solicit comment on the relationship between the Commission’s sponsorship identification rules and increasing industry reliance on embedded advertising techniques.”  The entire “Notice Of Inquiry And Notice Of Proposed Rule Making” contains more than 20 pages of legalese but the FCC is making it clear that the sponsor plugs will not be tolerated much longer without sponsor identification he said with Swingline stapler and Sharpie Accent Highlighter in hand, sipping from his Poland Spring water…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1916] Talkin’ Baseball: The Chicago Cubs  and Cincinnati Reds play a 9-inning game with just one baseball (6/29)…
2. 1917] Debuted on this date: Raggedy Ann. Happy 91st Birthday Raggedy (6/28)…1949] “Captain Video and his Video Rangers” debuts on the Dumont TV Network (6/27). It will run daily until April 1, 1955. This was the 1st of a trio of ’space operas’. The others were: “Space Patrol” and “Tom Corbett - Space Cadet“. FYI: The 1st Capt. Video was Richard Coogan (’49-’50). Al Hodge  took command for the rest of the shows run…
3. 1956] Wedding Bells: Marilyn Monroe  and Arthur Miller sing “I want to be loved by you” down the aisle (6/29). Sadly the marriage will end with a Mexican divorce in 1961…
4. 1967] Hollywood tragedy: 34-year old blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield  and 2 others are killed when their car goes into the back of a truck on U.S. highway 90 (6/29)…
5. 1974] Curtains: “The Flip Wilson Show” ends after 4 seasons of Wilson as “Geraldine Jones“, her boyfriend “Killer“, the Reverend Le Roy of the Church of What’s Happening Now and one of the greatest phrases of all-time - “the devil made me do it” (6/27)…1985] Route 66, originally stretching from Chicago to Santa Monica is decertified (6/27). How do you do this to a landmark highway???
6. 1975] ‘Happy Trails’: Rod Serling  dies after open-heart surgery at 50 (6/28). I met Serling at LAX in the early 70s and he told me about selling his rights to “The Twilight Zone” for $1 million. He was then taping “Night Gallery” and we got into a conversation about radio, his training grounds. Several months later there was a “Night Gallery” about a disc jockey (Mickey Rooney) who sells his soul to the devil. I always wondered if our talk may have inspired Serling to write that episode…2001] Legendary actor Jack Lemmon  dies from cancer at 76 (6/27)…2002] The Who’s John Entwistle  dies from a cocaine-induced heart attack at 57 (6/27)…2002] Singer Rosemary Clooney passes away at her Beverly Hills home following a long battle with lung cancer. Rosemary was 74 (6/29)…2003] Legendary actress Katharine Hepburn dies of natural causes at 96 (6/29)…2007] ABC-TV movie critic Joel Siegel  passes away from colon cancer at 63 (6/29)…
7. 1988] A time for joy, a time for tears: Proving it’s never too late to go back to school, Cyndi Lauper (Richmond Hills High) and Debbie Gibson  (Merrick High) receive their high school diplomas (6/27)…
8. 1996] Sold to the highest bidder: Superman Action Comic #1 (1938) is auctioned at Sotheby’s to Maryland businessman Steve Geppi for $61,900 and a pound of kryptonite (6/29)…
9. 1997] A bite to the finish: Mike Tyson  takes a bite out of Evander Holyfield’s ear and is disqualified during their heavyweight championship rematch (6/28)…
10. 2007] I phone, you phone, we all phone for iPhone: Apple Inc. rolls out their iPhone in the U.S. (6/29)…

Music Memories:

1957] Recorded on this date: Buddy Holly starts recording “Peggy Sue” in Clovis (NM) (6/29). The single will be released on September 20th and peak at #3…
1964] Number One on this date: “I Get Around” - Beach Boys (6/28)…1966] “Strangers in the Night” - Frank Sinatra (6/27)…1972] “Song Sung Blue” - Neil Diamond (6/27)…1977] “Gonna Fly Now (from “Rocky“) - Bill Conti (6/28)…1981] “Bette Davis Eyes” - Kim Carnes (6/27)…
1971] Closing on this date: Bill Graham’s Fillmore East starring the J. Geils Band, the Beach Boys, Allman Brothers and Mountain. The doors shut for good after the show (6/27)…

Commentary:

As expected the House subcommittee passed that bill requiring radio stations to pay royalties to performers yesterday but don’t expect a quick resolution to the performance tax…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

(6/27)Tobey Maguire (33), Julia Duffy (”Newhart“) (57), Rico Petrocelli (65), Bruce Johnston (66) and Ross Perot (78)…(6/28) Kellie Pickler (22), Kathy Bates (60), John Byner (70) and Mel Brooks (82)…(6/29) Evelyn “Champagne” King (48), Colin (”Men At Work“) Hay (55), Dan Dierdorf (59), former Congressman Fred (”The Love Boat“) Gandy (60), Richard Lewis (61), Gary Busey (64) and Robert Evans (78)…

Timeline Countdown: 7 days until July 4th, 18 days until the MLB All-Star Game and 42 days until the Summer Olympics…

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