Is Rehr Looking For Brownie Points???

Wednesday, November, 12, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

The most popular game in America is jumping on the Obama band wagon.  Everyone is doing it, even the NABs David K. Rehr who sent the president-elect a love letter.  I kept looking for the ’hugs & kisses, Dave’ at the end of the letter.  Besides congratulating our new president for his decisive victory, Rehr mentioned the role the “250,000 hard working Americans” at the “more than 15,000 local radio and television stations in the United States” play in “serving their communities through public service, local news, entertaining programming and vital community information - such as emergency warnings, traffic information and severe weather alerts.”  I couldn’t help but notice that the afterthought of ‘programming’ was buried somewhere in the middle of all that great public service, Radio is doling out…

The pending transition to digital television was noted in Rehr’s letter and the NABs “massive consumer education efforts” to ensure that “no American is left behind in the switch to DTV” was also trumpeted.  An invitation for Obama to “ask questions about our legislative advocacy or initiatives” followed with a closing note about “looking forward to continuing to work with you”, which was when I started looking for the “hugs & kisses.” …

I don’t mean to be so critical.  Okay so I do, but this was not intended to be a private letter, otherwise it wouldn’t be a press release.  By the way the NAB links the entire letter on their website… 

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1920] Here come de judge: Judge Kennesaw Mountain Landis is elected baseball’s first commissioner which brings a smile to Shorty Long’s face wherever he is…
2. 1931] A ‘Nessie’ sighting: The first known photo of the ‘Loch Ness Monster’ is taken…
3. 1940] Premiered on this date: “Fantasia“, not the singer, the Walt Disney masterpiece…
4. 1948] Guilty as charged: Former Japanese premier Hideki Tojo and several other WWII Japanese leaders are sentenced to death by a war crimes tribunal…1996] Jonathan Schmitz, 26, is convicted of second-degree murder for shooting Scott Amedure, a gay man who’d revealed a crush on Schmitz on a “Jenny Jones” TV show. Schmitz is serving a 20-25 year prison term…1997] Ramzi Yousef is found guilty of masterminding the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center. Yousef is serving a sentence of life without parole…2004] Scott Peterson is sentenced to death for murdering his pregnant wife, Laci, and dumping her body in San Francisco Bay. Peterson remains on death row…
5. 1954] Closed for renovations: Ellis Island closes after processing more than 20 million immigrants since opening in New York Harbor in 1892…
6. 1987] AIDS ban banned: The AMA issues a policy statement saying it was unethical for a doctor to refuse to treat someone solely because that person has AIDS or is HIV-positive…
7. 1993] “Happy Trails“: H.R. Haldeman, a former Nixon White House chief of staff, dies of undisclosed causes at 67…
8. 1998] Wedding Bells: Daimler-Benz, Chrysler and baby Daimler-Chrysler unite…
9. 2001] Belle Harbor hell: American Airlines flight 587 crashes in Belle Harbor, Queens shortly after taking off in perfect weather, from JFK, taking more than 260 lives…
10. 2006] Breaking a record: Gerald R. Ford surpasses Ronald Reagan as the longest-lived U.S. president at 93 years and 121 days. Ford will pass away the following month…Music Memories:

• 1958] Number One on this date: “Tom Dooley” - Kingston Trio…1985] “We Built This City” - Jefferson Starship’s homage to the city by the bay…
• 1966] Released on this date: “Mellow Yellow” - Donovan…1984] “Like a Virgin” LP - Madonna…
• 1970] Last call: The Doors make their last appearance with Jim Morrison in New Orleans…

Commentary:

Former Cleveland Indians pitcher and broadcaster Herb Score, whose career was shortened by a line drive in 1957, passed away Tuesday at 75.  Score had been in a wheelchair since suffering a stroke in 2002, four years after being seriously injured in a car accident.  A line drive hit by the Yankees’ Gil McDougald in a 1957 game changed Score’s pitching style and he would never fully recover after being named AL Rookie of the Year in 1955 and a 20-game winner in 1956…  

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Anne Hathaway (26), Tonya Harding (38), Sammy Sosa (40), Nadia Comaneci (47), Neil Young (63), Al Michaels (63), Booker T. Jones (64), Bryan Hyland (65), Ruby Nash Curtis (69) and Bob Crewe (77)…

Timeline Countdown: 15 days until Thanksgiving and 39 days until winter…

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