Remembering Uncle Walter With Awe…

Friday, July, 17, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

Walter Cronkite who passed away at 92 Friday night here in Manhattan commanded respect whenever he was seen in the hallways of CBS.  I remember when ”the most trusted man in America” did a walk-through at CBS-FM, dressed in suit and tie with copy in his hands, to produce audio for a special or voice over that he would occasionally do, once he retired.  It was one of those moments when I wanted to say something to this legend, this icon, that wasn’t too inane, just to say that I met Walter Cronkite.  Nothing came out.  I was too awe-struck to say anything.  That wasn’t the only time I had an opportunity to meet Uncle Walter.  It also wasn’t the first time words failed to come out of my throat in the presence of Walter Cronkite.  I had several opportunities when I would see the great Cronkite hailing a cab in my neighborhood on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.  Nothing, zilch, nada, bupkus.  Nothing ever came out.  Never did — never will…  

(Extended Weekend Edition)

There is no bigger topic in the radio industry than the “performance tax” proposal, now in Congress.  While no vote has been scheduled on the tariff, House opposition to the tax continues to grow.  The Local Radio Freedom Act, a bipartisan resolution opposing the record industry backed effort to levy performance royalties on local radio for airplay, now has the support of 240 lawmakers and 20 U.S. Senators.  “Day by Day, more lawmakers are saying “no” to multi-national record conglomerates and saying “yes” to preserving local radio” says NAB Executive VP Dennis Wharton.  The National Association of Broadcasters is so adamantly opposed to the performance tax that they’ve taken on Radio World — The News Source For Radio Managers and Engineers for their urging of the NAB to ”end their battle against the performance tax.” …

The NAB sent a scathing response to the website’s recent “Time for a Cease-Fire” editorial.  The editorial rebuttal, written by an unnamed “executive vice president of media relations for the NAB” says Radio World “displayed surprising naivety for the political process and a disappointing lack of appreciation for local radio’s role as the primary driver of music sales.”  The NAB also states that they “neither asked for nor started this fight but once the well-funded Recording Industry Association of America launched its scorched-earth legislative attack on free radio, it was our obligation to try to block it.” The rebuttal ends with this: “Interests collide every day in Washington, and there are times when a trade group like NAB has not other option than to compromise.  This is not the time, nor the issue”…

This issue won’t end any time soon as long as Congress drags its heels in scheduling a vote.  Meanwhile Michigan Representative John Conyers, the poster-child for the Performance Royalty Act may not survive the investigations facing him in his own state.  None, related to the tax — all, related to his credibility…  

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1931] A radio first: CBS airs the first radio/TV simulcast.  The show features Kate Smith, George Gershwin and New York City Mayor Jimmy Walker (7/18)… 
2. 1941] Boogety, boogety. This streak ends: The longest hitting streak in baseball ends in Cleveland for the “Yankee Clipper”, Joe DiMaggio. After hitting in 56 games, Indian pitchers stop DiMag. 68 years later, no one has come close to equalling or breaking his record (7/17)…
3. 1966] Wedding Bells: 50-year old Frank Sinatra and 21-year old Mia Farrow tie the knot (7/19).  Old Blue Eyes had pants that were older than his new wife…1986] Caroline Kennedy, 28-year old daughter of JFK walks down the aisle with Edwin A. Schlossberg in Centerville (MA), not far from the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port (7/19)…
4. 1969] Chappaquiddick tragedy: This was the day that Mary Jo Kopechne died when Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy lost control of the car he was driving.  Mary Jo was just 27 (7/18)…
5. 1969] Moonwalking: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” — the words of Neil Armstrong who becomes the first man to set foot on the moon (7/20)…
6. 1976] Olympic: Tiny 14-year old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci scores a perfect 10 on the parallel bars.  ‘Comaneech’ becomes an overnight sensation for her Olympic feat (7/19)…1996] The most recognizable person in the world, Muhammad Ali lights the Olympic torch in Atlanta (7/19)…
7. 1996] Tragedy in the air: TWA Flight 800, a Boeing 747 bound for Paris, explodes and crashes off Long Island, shortly after take-off from JFK killing all 230 aboard (7/17)…
8. 1998] “Happy Trails“: 74-year old astronaut Alan Shepard passes away, a victim of leukemia (7/21)…2003] Barry White dies of renal failure at 58 (7/18)…
9. 1999] Another sad day for the Kennedy’s: Navy divers find the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., wife Carolyn and sister-in-law Lauren (Bessette) in the wreckage of Kennedy’s plane in the Atlantic Ocean off the shore of Martha’s Vineyard (7/21)…
10. 1999] Perfecto: Yankee pitcher David Cone pitches a perfect game at Yankee Stadium against the Montreal Expos (7/18)…

Music Memories:

• 1958] Will the real Drifters, please stand up: Drifters manager George Treadwell goes backstage at the Apollo Theater and fires his group.  George walks to the dressing room of the Five Crowns, the opening act, and hires them as replacements (7/19)…
• 1967] Opening for the Monkees: The Jimi Hendrix Experience. It’s true!!! It happened in Forest Hills, Queens (7/17)…
• 1968] Number One on this date: “Grazing in the Grass” - Hugh Masekela (7/19)…1970] “(They Long To Be) Close To You” - Carpenters (7/21)…1975] “The Hustle” - Van McCoy (7/21)…1976] “Kiss And Say Goodbye” - Manhattans (7/19)…1985] “Everytime You Go Away” - Paul Young (7/21)…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday“: (7/17) Mark Burnett (49), Bryan Trottier (53),Phoebe Snow (Laub) (57), David Hasselhoff (57), Lucie Arnaz (58), Daryle Lamonica (68), Spencer Davis (70), Diahann Carroll (74), Donald Sutherland (74), Phyllis Diller (92) and Art Linkletter (97)…(7/18) Martha Reeves (68), Lonnie Mack (68), Joe Torre (69), Dion DiMucci (70), John Glenn (88) and Nelson Mandella (91)…(7/19) Vikki Carr (68), George Hamilton IV (72), Sue Thompson (84) and George McGovern (87)…(7/20) Carlos Santana (62), Kim Carnes (63) and Dame Diana Rigg (71)…(7/21) Robin Williams (58), Cat Stevens aka Yusuf Islam (61), Jon Lovitz (62), Janet Reno (71) and Kay Starr (87)…

Timeline Countdown: 6 days until the NFL training camps open, 52 days until Labor Day and 55 days until the NFL opener…

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