FCC Needs To Fill In Its Holes…

Thursday, January, 22, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

Even after resigning, drama queen Kevin Martin refuses to leave the stage, defending his term as FCC Chairman and continuing to attack the cable industry, while advising the Obama administration to not delay TV’s transition from analog to digital.  But life at the FCC goes on and it’s a lean, un-mean machine of three.  Commissioners Copps, Adelstein and McDowell have plenty of time to take care of their personal needs with no business affairs to tend to.  With the new Obama administration already sending out a directive to all agencies to hold off on any new rule or regulation changes until they can be reviewed, the commissioners can shop for iPods or whatever FCC commissioners do in their spare time…

The guessing is that Michael Powell will return to the FCC as acting chairman until Julius Genachowski takes his seat as permanent chairman.  That means one more seat will be filled, a Republican, since the party in power is only allowed 3 seats.  Lone Republican Robert McDowell will have a fellow elephant to commiserate with…

If you’re wondering when Kevin Martin will start his new position at the Aspen Institute in Washington, the answer to that is not soon enough.  There’s no room at the FCC anymore for an ego like Martin’s to chair the agency.  Harvard techie Julius Genachowski promises to be a no-nonsense, hard-working FCC chairman who will help advance electronic technology.  He’s no Kevin Martin.  Hallefreakinlujah…  

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1957] Guilty as charged: George Metesky a.k.a. ‘The Mad Bomber’ is arrested in Waterbury (CT) and accused of planting more than 30 explosive devices over a 15-year period in the New York Metropolitan area. Deemed insane, Metesky will be assigned to a state institution until being released in 1973 when he returns home to Waterbury and lives until the age of 90…1998] Theodore Kaczynski a.k.a. ‘The Unabomber’ pleads guilty in return for a life sentence without parole. His specialty was mail bombs. This was not a good day for bombers or NFL murderers…2001] Former NFL player Rae Carruth is sentenced to a minimum of 18 years and 11 months in prison for his role in the 1999 murder of his pregnant girlfriend who was carrying his baby. The baby survives and is being raised by the victim’s mother…
2. 1968] Sock it to me: “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” debuts on NBC-TV…
3. 1973] King George: George Foreman wins the heavyweight title with a second round TKO of Joe Frazier in Kingston, Jamaica mahn…
4. 1973] Supes Rule: Roe v. Wade is born, legalizing abortion after the Supreme Court strikes down state laws prohibiting abortion. You can be sure this will be an issue that won’t ever be put to rest…
5. 1973] ‘Happy Trails’: Former President Lyndon B. Johnson dies from a heart attack at 64…1995] Kennedy matriarch Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy who suffered a paralyzing stroke 20 years earlier, passes away at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port at 104…2008] Australian actor Heath Ledger dies of an accidental medication overdose at 28…
6. 1984] The Big Apple: Apple introduces the Macintosh in a Super Bowl ad…
7. 1984] Superbowl Sunday: Barry Manilow sings the national anthem and then the Los Angeles Raiduhs rip the Washington Redskins 38-9 in Super Bowl XVIII…1989] Joe Montana leads the 49ers on an 11-play, 92-yard touchdown drive with 43 seconds remaining to lift San Francisco to a 20-16 win over Cincinnati in Super Bowl XXIII. It’s the third title for SF…
8. 1997] Madam Secretary: The Senate confirms Madeleine Albright as the nation’s first female Secretary of State…
9. 2002] So sue me: AOL Time Warner files suit against Microsoft seeking damages for harm done to AOL’s Netscape Internet browser when Microsoft gives away a competing browser…
10. 2002] Chapter 11: Kmart files for bankruptcy…

Music Memories:

• 1960] ‘Signed, sealed, delivered’: Sam Cooke signs with RCA Records…
• 1962] Debuted on this date: Gene Chandler a.k.a. ‘The Duke of Earl’ makes his TV debut on ‘American Bandstand’.  The Duke is seen here singing to his dukedom…
• 1963] Recorded on this date: “On Broadway” - Drifters…1966] “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” - Beach Boys…1971] “Power To The People” - John & Yoko…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“:

Diane Lane (44), Linda Blair (50), Mike Bossy (52), Steve Perry (60), John Hurt (69), Joseph Wambaugh (72), Piper Laurie (77) and Birch Bayh (81)…

Timeline Countdown: 10 days until the Super Bowl, 23 days until Valentine’s Day and pitchers & catchers report voluntarily and 25 days until President’s Day…

Posted in Today's Post | No Comments »