House Committee Keeps The Door Open…

Thursday, July, 16, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

They could have killed the threat of reintroduction of the dreaded Fairness Doctrine but a U.S. House Committee decided to keep the door open instead.  Reps Mike Pence (R-Ind) and Greg Walden (R-Ore) are not happy that their amendment went down in flames.  “I am profoundly disappointed” says Pence.  “Unfortunately, Democrats on the Rules Committee decided that the freedom of speech, though enshrined in the Constitution, is not a right they were willing to afford their colleagues in the House” added Pence…

The Committee vote was 8-4 along party lines, rejecting the amendment that would have halted any proposals by the FCC that would restore the Fairness Doctrine, abandoned in 1987 under President Ronald Reagan. Walden took this view: “as a radio station operator of over 21 years, I can say from experience that there’s only one group qualified to judge a station’s performance: the listeners.”  If they’re tuning in, you’re doing something right.  If they’re not, it’s time to reconsider.  Sounds simple enough, but some here in the nation’s capital want the government to intrude on that basic principle.” …

I don’t care whether or not you like or agree with whatever comes out of a radio but you always have the choice to either listen or not.  It’s called freedom of choice.  The bigger issue is freedom of speech.  The House Committee was dead-wrong in their decision…

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1935] Time’s up: The 1st parking meters are installed in Oklahoma City. Lovely Rita, meter maid, is hired…
2. 1945] A-Bomb era begins: The U.S. explodes its first experimental atomic bomb in the desert near Alamogordo, NM…
3. 1951] Debuted on this date: The J.D. Salinger novel “Catcher In The Rye” is published…
4. 1957] Record setting John Glenn: Marine Major John Glenn sets a transcontinental speed record, flying a jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds…
5. 1969] To the Moon Alice: Apollo 11 blasts off from Cape Kennedy to begin its journey to the moon and the 1st landing made by man on that surface…
6. 1973] There goes the secret: Former White House aide Alexander P. Butterfield publicly reveals the existence of President Richard Nixon’s secret taping system during the Senate Watergate hearings…
7. 1979] Are we having fun yet?: Saddam Hussein becomes president of Iraq after forcing Hasan al-Bakr to resign…
8. 1981] LIE tragedy: Harry Chapin is killed on the Long Island Expressway on his way to a benefit concert. Chapin was 38…
9. 1999] Vineyard tragedy: Another day ends in tragedy for the Kennedy’s as John F. Kennedy Jr.’s plane crashes off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard. Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, John’s wife and Carolyn’s sister Lauren Bessette was also aboard. All the bodies are found on July 21…
10. 2004] Not a good thing: Martha Stewart is sentenced to 5 months in prison for lying about a stock sale…

Music Music Memories:

• 1966] Cream rises: Eric Clapton, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker form Cream…
• 1972] Breaking up is hard to do: After 18 years with the Miracles, Smokey Robinson makes his final appearance with the group in Washington, D.C.  Ooh, Baby, Baby…1977] Loggins and Messina go their separate ways…

Commentary:

Mike Klenfner was a mountain of a man who accomplished much in the music business in just 62 short years, as outlined in this obituary.  What I’ll remember most about Michael was that he never forgot a person, once he met them.  Mike had just left WNEW-FM to head up album promotion for Columbia Records when I met him and every time we would run into each other he had some funny greeting for me and it always made me laugh.  There were too many occasions when we would reconnect at a memorial service for someone we knew.  Sadly, there will be another one — this time for Michael.  A memorial service will be held for Mike on Friday, July 17th at Riverside Memorial Chapel at 10 a.m.  R.I.P. Ingrizzler…



   

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”: Barry Sanders (41), Will Ferrell (42), Phoebe Cates (46), Michael Flatley (51), Ruben Blades (61), Jimmy Johnson (66) and Bess Myerson (85)...

Timeline Countdown: 7 days until NFL training camps open, 53 days until Labor Day and 56 days until the NFL opener…

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