Wanted: A Radio Lobbyist With Street Cred…

Thursday, May, 7, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

He made many but the biggest mistake David Rehr made as president of the National Association of Broadcasters was not being Eddie Fritts.  Eddie Fritts ruled the NAB roost from 1982 to 2006 as President and Chief Executive Officer.  The NAB will never find another Fritts but they need someone like him.  Eddie came from a radio background as a local broadcaster from Mississippi.  He had lots of radio street cred and led the NAB to become one of the most respected and effective lobbying entities in the U.S.  Fritts became a prime force in the reassessment of media ownership rules and regulations and made fundamental changes in broadcasting.  He was respected by most broadcasters and had legions of fans in Congress and among FCC Commissioners.  Most of all, Eddie Fritts mattered.  He did his job better than anyone else ever had as head of the NAB…

The NAB, founded in 1922 by Zenith founder Eugene F. McDonald is “a trade organization representing the interests of for-profit, over-the-air radio and television broadcasters In the United States.  The NAB represents more than 8,300 terrestrial radio and television stations as well as broadcast networks.”  The National Association of Broadcasters is a lobby.  They are lobbyists plain and simple.  Their product is radio and television…

If your product is radio and television, why would you hire a lobbyist for the National Beer Wholesalers Association?  That’s what the NAB did when they hired David Rehr as President.  Their next choice is critical.  Both radio and television have never been in worse shape than now.  Both media forms are on life support.  The NAB must bring in someone who can schmooze the pants off of not only broadcasters but Congress, the FCC and yes, the President.  This is a plea to the NAB - don’t blow it this time… 

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1789] Havin’ a party: The first inaugural ball is held in honor of President George Washington and his wife Martha with music provided by Lester Lanin…
2. 1903] Red Sox Nation is born: It all started with this game. Boston faces off against New York for the first time as the then-Pilgrims beat the Highlanders (pre-Yankees) 6-2 at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. Bill Dinneen is the winning pitcher and Hobe Ferris homers…
3. 1946] SONY is born: The Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corp. is founded. The company will be renamed SONY…
4. 1968] The name game: British singer Reginald Dwight changes his name to Elton John…
5. 1957] No score: A line-drive off the bat of Yankee Gil McDougald severely damages Cleveland pitcher Herb Score’s right eye, effectively ruining his career. Two years later he retires…
6. 1966] Not so Keane: After winning only 4 of the Yankees first 20 games of the season as manager, Johnny Keane is fired and replaced by Ralph Houk. And this was pre-Steinbrenner…
7. 1968] Not a good image: Dancer’s Image,winner of the Kentucky Derby three days earlier is disqualified after it’s discovered that the horse was injected with the illegal drug “bute” to reduce inflammation of the joints. Forward Pass who finished second is declared the winner…
8. 1987] Diane bows out of ‘Cheers’: Shelly Long aka Diane Chambers makes her last appearance as a regular on “Cheers”…
9. 1999] Jenny Jones disaster: A jury in Pontiac (MI) orders “The Jenny Jones Show” to pay $25 million to the family of a gay man who was shot to death after revealing a crush on a male guest on the show. The award will be overturned on appeal…
10. 2002] Seattle Slew makes history: Twenty-five years to the exact date that Seattle Slew won the Kentucky Derby, the first of his Triple Crown victories in 1977, the great Slew dies at the age of 28…

Music Memories:

• 1969] Number One ten years apart on this date: “Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In” - 5th Dimension…1979] “Reunited” - Peaches & Herb…1989] “Like A Prayer” - Madonna…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”: Robert (”Epstein”) Hegyes (58), John Gorman (??), Thelma Houston (63), Jimmy Ruffin (70), Johnny Maestro (70), Ed Pyle (70), Babe Parilli (80), Dick Williams (80) and Jim Lowe (82)…

Timeline Countdown: 3 days until Mother’s Day, 18 days until Memorial Day and 46 days until Father’s Day…

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