Rehr Notes Negativity In NAB Keynote…

Thursday, September, 18, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

At the same time NAB President and CEO David K. Rehr spoke about “the negativity that’s pervading the radio business and threatens to paralyze us”, the Radio Advertising Bureau was publishing August Radio Revenue numbers that are the source of that negativity.  Local was down 11%, national plunged 14% and total revenue (local and national) took an 11% hit.  The only revenue source that made gains was off-air (online, outdoor, etc.).  Rehr railing about “the dark cloud hanging over our heads” and being “bombarded by negative and often false messages about radio” reminded me of the rant by Spiro Agnew in the 70s…

Agnew at the time (September, 1970) was Richard Nixon’s Vice President and he took on the press by calling them “negative nabobs of negativism” but he wasn’t through.  Agnew, a master of alliteration followed that rant by calling those “nabobs” - “hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history.”   So my advice to Mr. Rehr is to get more creative with his alliteration is he really wants to be taken seriously…

Look, it’s not the media that’s created the sick state of radio today, it’s the state of the economy, the awesome number of competitors, advanced technology and dare I say this - poor radio management.  There is a reason for the so-called bombardment of negativism pervading radio and it’s coming from real numbers that don’t lie.  Most of all, it’s not coming from ‘hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history’…   

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1851] Premiered on this date: The first issue of The New York Times is published…1927] The Mother Ship has landed: The Columbia Broadcasting System debuts with a network of 47 stations. The name of the company is later shortened to CBS…1963] The following TV shows debuted on this date: “The Patty Duke Show“ which airs for 3 years…1965] “I Dream of Jeannie“ starring Barbara Eden and Larry Hagman. This series runs for 5 seasons…1965] “Get Smart“ starring Don Adams and Barbara Feldon with a run of 5 years plus syndication forever…
2. 1940]  Published on this date:  “You Can’t Go Home Again” by Thomas Wolfe…
3. 1947] Separate but equal: The U.S. Air Force is established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act…
4. 1960] Fidel visits the Apple: Fidel Castro stays at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem where he meets with Malcolm X. He also makes TV appearances and is generally treated like the hero he wasn’t…
5. 1961] “Happy Trails”: U.N. Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold dies at 56 in a plane crash in Rhodesia (now Zambia)…1975] Jimi Hendrix dies of a drug overdose at 27…1994] Tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis is the victim of an accidental carbon monoxide poisoning at 40…
6. 1963] Curtains: The New York Mets play their last game at the Polo Grounds. Shea Stadium opens for opening day 1964…
7. 1969] No tip-toeing around: Tiny Tim announces his engagement to “Miss Vicki” on the “Tonight Show with Johnny Carson”. Johnny extends TT & MV an invitation to get married on the show which they do in December…
8. 1975] Gotcha: Patty Hearst is captured in San Mateo (CA). She will be convicted and sentenced to 7 years in prison for her role in SLA crimes. Jimmy Carter will commute the sentence and she only serves 22-months…
9. 1977] Captain Courageous: Ted Turner captains the Courageous to victory, sweeping Australia in the 24th ‘America’s Cup’ in Newport (RI). Twenty years later on this same date (1997) Turner announces that he will donate $1 billion to the U.N. over the next 10 years…
10. 1994] Talkin’ baseball: The Ken Burns produced “Baseball“ series of specials premieres on PBS, making a star of Buck O’Neill, a former Negro League player…

Music Memories:

• 1947] Country comes to Carnegie Hall: Ernest Tubb and Roy Acuff perform at Carnegie Hall in the first Country show at the venue and it marks the first time Country Music is performed in New York on a major stage…
• 1976] Released on this date: “More Than A Feeling“ - Boston…

Commentary:

The passing of Motown writer/producer Norman Whitfield on Tuesday was the passing of a piece of the legendary label.  Whitfield co-wrote such Motown classics as “I Heard It Through The Grapevine” and “War”.  He took the Temptations into a harder direction musically with “Ain’t Too Proud To Beg” but also co-wrote the great ballad “Just My Imagination” for the group.  He also wrote “Pride and Joy”, “Too Busy Think’ Bout My Baby” and “Too Many Fish In The Sea.”  Norman Whitfield was 65.  David Hinckley’s New York Daily News column has more on the legend of Norman Whitfield… 

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:

Jada Pinkett Smith (37), Aisha Tyler (38), James Gandolfini (47), Rick Pitino (56), Frankie Avalon (68), Fred Willard (69), Jimmie Rodgers (75) and Robert Blake a.k.a. Mickey Gubitosi (75)…

Timeline Countdown: 4 days until autumn in New York, 10 days until the MLB regular season ends and 12 days before the playoffs start…

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