Radio Can Ca$h In On This Windfall…

Tuesday, August, 26, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

T. Boone Pickens started fanning the media winds to the tune of $58 million in his campaign promoting wind power with tons of spots placed on TV, now along comes Vestas Wind Systems A/S to top Pickens with a budget of $100 million.  This time radio will share in the windfall.  The $100 million will be spent on consumer targeted ads that will run in print, online, on radio and TV…

Vestas, the world’s largest seller of wind turbines is willing to spend the $100 million over two years to raise American’s awareness of wind energy’s potential.  Chief Executive Ditlev Engel says “we want to show people: here’s technology you have but don’t use.”  Vestas, based in Denmark employs 1,220 people in the U.S., is trying to close the gap between European and Amercian awareness of wind energy…

Vestas makes it clear that they don’t expect you to put its hundred-ton machines on your shopping list but they’re hoping that enough influence will reach the ears of our legislators.  To them, Vestas says “The answer my friend is blowing in the wind, the answering is blowing in the wind”.  Well, part of the answer anyway… 

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1873] The birth of a broadcasting maven: Dr. Lee DeForest  is born. He’s the inventor of the audion tube which makes broadcasting possible…
2. 1873] School bells ring and children sing: The school board of St. Louis (MO) authorizes the 1st U.S. public kindergarten…
3. 1939] Baseball comes to the tube: The 1st televised major league baseball games are shown on experimental W2XBS (now WNBC-TV). It’s a double-header between the Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds…
4. 1947] Breaking the barrier: Brooklyn Dodger pitcher Dan Bankhead  becomes the 1st black pitcher in major league baseball…
5. 1957] Edsel won’t: Ford rolls out the 1st Edsel (1958 model). The last Edsel rolls out at the end of November of ‘59 (1960 model)…
6. 1964] LBJ all the way: The Democratic National Convention nominates LBJ for a full term with Hubert H. Humphrey  as his running mate in Atlantic City (living in AC at the time, I remember seeing both candidates at their palatial rental waiting to be escorted to the Convention Hall for their coronation)…
7. 1970] Duane turns into a Domino: Duane Allman starts recording as a member of Eric Clapton’s new band, Derek & The Dominoes…
8. 1974] “Happy Trails”: Charles Lindbergh dies of cancer on the Hawaiian island of Maui (Lindbergh was 72)…
9. 1986] Rough sex death: Jennifer Levin  is found strangled in Central Park. Preppie Killer Robert Chambers eventually confesses but uses a “rough sex” defense. He will serve 15 years (the 1st 5 in solitary) and is released at age 36 in August of ‘05. Chambers was sentenced to a lengthy term in jail for possession of heroin and cocaine recently…
10. 2003] Blame NASA: Investigators conclude that NASA’s overconfident management and inattention to safety doomed the space shuttle Columbia as much as damage to the craft did…

Music Memories:

• 1967] Released on this date: “Purple Haze” - Jimi Hendrix (brave souls that we were at WRKO this was a big hit for us when no one else played it)…
• 1976] On the cover of Rolling Stone: Aerosmith…

Commentary:

The T.J. Martell Foundation’s 33rd Annual Awards Gala on October 28, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan.  Humanitarian of the year is Larry Kellner, CEO of Continental Airlines.  The Spirit of Excellence Award will be bestowed on Michael Cohl, International Music Impresario.  No foundation does more in its fight to cure leukemia, cancer and AIDS than the T.J. Martell Foundation.  Congratulations Tony and good luck on October 28th… 

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:  Macaulay Culkin (28), Bob Cowsill (59), Lee Trevino (60), Valerie Simpson (60), Tom Ridge (63), Geraldine Ferraro (73), Celtic great Tommy Heinsohn (74), former Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee (87)…Timeline Countdown: 6 days until Labor Day and 9 days until the NFL kickoff (Washington @ NYG)…

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