Lame-Duck FCC Gets Active…

Tuesday, December, 2, 2008 by Mel Phillips.

Names and faces will change when the current FCC is disbanded after the Obama administration takes over in January.  Until then, the Kevin Martin chaired agency is flexing its muscles.  Martin is pushing for action this month on a plan to offer free, pornography-free wireless Internet service, despite objections from the wireless industry and consumer groups.  The proposal to allow a no-smut, free wireless Internet service as part of a proposal to auction off a chunk of airwaves.  The winning bidder would be required to set aside a quarter of the airwaves for a free Internet service.  The winner could establish a paid service that would have a fast wireless Internet connection.  The free service could be slower and would be required to filter out pornography and other material not suitable for children…

Opposition to the free web comes from the wireless industry.  It also comes from consumer advocates who object to the FCC’s proposed pornography filter.  The FCC proposes that adults could opt out and access all Internet sites.  But that would be on a slower network, wouldn’t it?  While I champion filters for children, this whole deal smacks of censorship to me - something the FCC hasn’t done to-date with the Internet…

There are several other items the FCC is involved in, including the granting of some wiggle-room for Sirius XM in leasing 4% of their channels to qualified third parties.  The original deadline has been extended to February 27, 2009.  That was part of the merger deal that Sirius agreed to.  This lame-duck edition of the FCC is breathing its last breath.  The hope is that it uses that last breath wisely…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1901] Patent no longer pending: Gillette patents the first disposable razor…
2. 1927] Debuted on this date: Ford rolls out their Model A, the successor to the Model T. It sold for $385…1969] Boeing shows off its 747 jumbo jet for the media…
3. 1956] Next stop Boston: San Francisco University’s Bill Russell stars as the USA picks up a gold medal in basketball with an 89-55 trouncing of Russia at the Melbourne (Australia) Olympics (and we all know where he will star next).  Russell is seen on this USF highlight video…
4. 1961] I’m your leader: Fidel Castro declares himself a Marxist-Leninist who will lead Cuba to Communism. He will also lead them to ruin.  Here’s Castro in 1959…
5. 1967] “Happy Trails“: New York City’s Francis Joseph Cardinal Spellman dies from natural causes at 78…
6. 1982] The beat goes on: Retired dentist Barney Clark receives the first artificial heart. Clark will live for 112 days…
7. 1992] Musical call letters: WQEW replaces WQXR on 1560 in New York. WQEW adapts a nostalgia music WNEW-AM type format that won’t be successful…
8. 1994] Guilty as charged: “Hollywood Madam” Heidi Fleiss is convicted in Los Angeles on 3 counts of “pandering”. Charlie Sheen loses Heidi’s phone number…
9. 1998] It’s only money: Microsoft Corp. chairman Bill Gates donates $100 million to immunize children in developing countries, something that Gates continues to do…
10. 2001] Chapter 11: Enron Corp. files for chapter 11 after Dynergy walks away from a $8.4 billion buyout. It’s the largest bankruptcy in U.S. history…

Music Memories:

• 1957] Number One on this date: “You Send Me” - Sam Cooke…1963] “Dominique” - The Singing Nun, Sister Luc-Gabrielle…1974] “Kung Fu Fighting” - Carl Douglas…1979] “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” - Neil Diamond & Barbra Streisand…
• 1959] Bobby Darin, this is your life: Bobby Darin is the surprised subject on “This Is Your Life”…
• 1964] Say ahhhh Ringo: Ringo Starr’s tonsils are removed. What would that fetch on ebay today???…
• 1972] Released on this date: “You’re So Vain” - Carly Simon…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Britney Spears (27), Nelly Furtado (30), Monica Seles (35), Lucy Liu (40), Stone Phillips (54), Cathy Lee Crosby (64), Julie Harris (83) and Alexander (”I’m in charge now”) Haig (84)…

Timeline Countdown: 19 days until winter, 20 days until Hanukah, 23 shopping days until Christmas, 29 nights until New Year’s Eve and 32 days until the NFL playoffs…

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