A Bad Week Gets Worse For Terrestrial Radio…

Friday, May, 15, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

(Weekend Edition)

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for terrestrial radio, it just did.  Still mulling the ramifications of the possible enactment of the Performance Rights Act, along comes interim FCC head Michael Copps who proposes shorter broadcast licenses for terrestrial radio.  “We still need to get serious about defining our license renewal process” says Copps at a summit sponsored by the Internet advocacy group Free Press.  The license renewal period is now 8 years but if Copps has his way the 8 years will be reduced to 3.  Or as Copps added, “Goodbye to postcard renewal every eight years.  Hello to renewal every three years with public interest teeth.”  National Association of Broadcasters Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton issued a statement saying broadcasters would “respectfully oppose” attempts to shorten licensing terms…

Wharton added that “Congress wisely reformed license renewal terms to allow broadcasters to better compete against our pay platform competitors.  Reducing a broadcaster’s term of license would actually harm localism by injecting greater uncertainty into a business model facing the worst advertising downturn in decades.”…

It would be logical to believe that Copps was playing to his crowd, speaking to the Internet advocacy group Free Press - well he was, he was working the room. This could also be the last chance for the interim FCC Chairman to act like the real FCC head, but he’s not, he’s just keeping the seat warm.  After the speech he told reporters that the FCC shouldn’t act on his broadcast license proposal until Julius Genachowski is installed.  He couldn’t leave it at that though, adding “I hope that’s one of the first things we do.”  He also said the FCC should rewrite public interest guidelines for broadcasters…   

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1602] If you’re fond of sand dunes and salty air: Bartholomew Gosnold, an English explorer known as “The Columbus of New England”, discovers Cape Cod (our favorite spot in N.E.) (5/15)…
2. 1888] Not Cousin Brucie: Emile Berliner becomes the first radio disc jockey when his voice is heard on a flat disc demo (5/16)…
3. 1930] Coffee, tea or me?: Ellen Church becomes the first airline stewardess. Ellen serves fliers on United Airlines between San Francisco and Cheyenne (WY) (5/15)…
4. 1939] It’ll never work: Princeton beats Columbia 2-1 in 10 innings at Baker Field in the first televised baseball game on experimental W2XBS (5/17). The New York Times review: “It is difficult to see how this sort of thing can catch the public fancy.” Yeah, okay…
5. 1941] The Streaker: Joe DiMaggio goes 1-for-4 and starts his 56-consecutive game hitting streak (5/15). This is an untouchable record…
6. 1957] At the Copa: A brawl breaks out at the 29th birthday party for Billy Martin at the Copacabana (5/16). Billy, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Johnny Kucks, Hank Bauer and assorted spouses take part in the melee. Lots of fines are handed down and in four weeks Billy Martin wears a Kansas City uniform…
7. 1970] Hammerin’ Hank: Henry Aaron singles and homers in a game against the Reds giving him 3,000 hits and 570 home runs (5/17). Only two other players have had 3,000 hits and 500 or more home runs: Willie Mays and Eddie Murray…
8. 1972] A campaign comes to a tragic end: Democratic would-be presidential nominee George C. Wallace is shot and paralyzed by gunman Arthur Bremer while campaigning in Laurel (MD) (5/15)…
9. 1998] Perfecto: David Wells pitches a perfect game at Yankee Stadium in a Yankee win over Minnesota (5/17). It’s just the 13th perfecto in the modern era of baseball…
10. 2002] Finding a pearl: The remains of kidnapped Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, 38, are found (5/16) and will be returned to his wife…

Music Memories:

• 1963] Grammy Gold: Tony Bennett’s “I Left My Heart In San Francisco“ wins a Grammy Award for “Record of The Year”. The “Album of The Year” is Vaughn Meader’s “The First Family“ (5/15)…
• 1965] On “American Bandstand”: Jackie DeShannon and The Ronettes. Here are videos from different venues for Jackie and The Ronettes (5/15)…
• 1974] Number One on this date: “The Streak” - Ray Stevens (5/17)…1976] “Silly Love Songs” - Paul McCartney (5/16)…
• 1983] Moonwalking on this date: Michael Jackson on “Motown 25: Yesterday, Today and Forever” (5/16)…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”: (5/15) Jamie-Lynn Sigler (28), Josh Beckett (29), John Smoltz (42), Dan Patrick (53), George Brett (56), Chazz Palminteri (57), Don Nelson (69), Lainie Kazan (69), Lenny Welch (71), Trini Lopez (72), Madeleine Albright (72) and Anna Maria Alberghetti (73)…(5/16) Tori Spelling (36), Janet Jackson (43), Olga Korbut (54), Debra Winger (54) and Pierce Brosnan (56)…(5/17) Craig Ferguson (47), Enya (48), Jim Nantz (50), Bob Saget (53), Sugar Ray Leonard (53), Henry St. Clair Fredericks aka Taj Mahal(67) and Dennis Hopper (73)…

Timeline Countdown: 10 days until Memorial Day, 37 days until Father’s Day, 37 days until summer and 50 days until July 4th…

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