Now You Too Can Own A Low-Power Radio Station…

Friday, October, 9, 2009 by Mel Phillips.

(Weekend Edition) 

The Senate Judiciary Committee side-stepped a vote on the proposed Performance Rights Act until next week but there was radio action on Capitol Hill yesterday. The Local Community Radio Act was approved by the House Subcommittee on Communication, Technology and the Internet in a 15-1 vote. This will clear the way for hundreds of new LPFM stations. The act will require the FCC to change its rules to eliminate third-adjacent minimum separation requirements for most FMs. The bill would also require the FCC to ensure that licenses are available to LPFMs as well as translators (used to enhance weak AM signals), based on “the needs of the community.”  Now you too can own an LPFM if you can convince the FCC that you’re serving “the needs of the community.” Yakov Smirnoff had it right: “America: What a country”…

Get your black eye-patches out. Piracy will return to the airwaves with the passage of this bill. The 2001 law banning former pirate operators from obtaining LPFM licenses would be eliminated in the House version of the bill. Aye matey…

The next step is for the bill to be voted on by the full Energy & Commerce Committee and then the House. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate in March and is pending action by the Commerce, Science & Transportation Committee. As far as the Performance Rights Act, S.379 was held over. The panel was tied-up with other matters. Despite the delay, it’s widely expected the Judiciary Committee will send the bill to the full Senate floor for a vote…  

10 Timeline Memories:

1. 1872] Mail order is born: Aaron Montgomery Ward starts his mail-order business with the delivery of the first mail order catalog. The firm becomes Montgomery-Ward (10/9)…
2. 1951] Fall Classics: The Casey Stengel-led Yankees beat the New York Giants in 6 games to win their 3rd consecutive WS. That number will grow to 5. Joe DiMaggio in his final year and rookie Mickey Mantle play the outfield — DiMag in center, the Mick in right until he gets hurt…1957] Lew Burdette’s 3rd WS victory gives the Braves the championship over the Yankees in 7 games…1973]
   The New York Mets beat the Reds in game 5 of the NLCS to advance to the WS against Oakland (all 3 events are on 10/10)…
3. 1973] Curtains: Elvis Presley and Priscilla D-I-V-O-R-C-E after 6 years of marriage (10/9)…1977] North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith retires as the winningest college basketball coach in history. The team’s record under Smith: 879-254 with 2 national titles and 11 final fours (10/9)…
4. 1975] Wedding Bells: Hillary Rodham (R) switches party affiliation when she marries Bill Clinton (D) (10/11)…
5. 1975] Live from New York: George Carlin hosts the first “Saturday Night Live” with musical guests Janis Ian and Billy Preston (10/11)…
6. 1985] Strawberry Fields Forever: The official dedication of Strawberry Fields is held on what would have been John Lennon’s 45th birthday. Son Sean was 10 years old. He’s now 34. It was Mayor Ed Koch who named the patch of Central Park real estate in the shadows of The Dakota where John Lennon lived and died. As is the custom, there will be fans congregating there today on what would have been John’s 69th birthday (10/9)…
7. 1991] Hill v. Thomas: Anita Hill accuses Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment in ‘must see TV’ for the masses (10/11)…
8. 2004] “Happy Trails“: Christopher Reeve passes away from cardiac arrest after slipping into a coma. The former Superman was 52 (10/10)…
9. 2006] Google gobbles YouTube: Google Inc. announces that it’s snapped up You Tube Inc. for $1.65 billion (10/10)…
10. 2006] Tragedy on 72nd Street: Yankees relief pitcher Corey Lidle, 34, and his co-pilot/instructor Tyler Stanger die when their small plane crashes into the 40th floor of a 50 floor hi-rise in Manhattan (10/11). Pilot error was ruled…

Music Memories:

• 1964] Released on this date: “Leader Of The Pack” -Shangri-Las (10/10)…1969] “Someday We’ll Be Together” - Supremes (10/9)…1970] “Tears Of A Clown” - Smokey & the Miracles (10/10)…1971] “Wild Night” - Van Morrison (10/9)…1979] “Babe” - Styx (10/9)…1980] “Starting Over” - John Lennon (10/9)… 
• 1966] Number One on this date: “Reach Out, I’ll Be There” - Four Tops (10/11)… 

Commentary:

Shelby Singleton Jr. was credited with acquiring such hits as “Sea Of Love”, “Chantilly Lace”, “Running Bear”, “Hey Paula”, “Hey Baby.” Shelby signed Faron Young, Dave Dudley, Ray Stevens and countless others. He was a pretty fair producer too: “Walk On By”, “Ahab The Arab”, “Wooden Heart.” There are legions of other big artists he worked with, too many to mention here. He bought Sun Records from founder Sam Phillips, re-releasing all the original artists like Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich and Roy Orbison. Shelby was already legendary when I went to Jack Stapp’s WKDA as morning man in 1961. The thing that impressed me most about Shelby was his pop ear in the heart of country. His track record for picking hits and signing stars is legendary. Shelby died this past Wednesday (10/7) after a brief illness at 77…

“Happy Birthday…happy birthday”:  (10/9) Sean Lennon (34), John O’Hurley (55), Scott Bakula (55), Tony Shaloub (56), Sharon Osbourne (57), Jackson Browne (61), Nona Hendryx (65), Joe Pepitone(69) and Fyvush Finkel (87)…(10/10) Mya (Harrison) (30), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (35), Mario Lopez (36), Brett Favre (40), Julia Sweeney (48), Tanya Tucker (51), David Lee Roth (54) and Ben Vereen (63)…(10/11) Jane Krakowski (41), Luke Perry (43), Steve Young (48), David Morse (56), Daryl Hall (63) and Elmore Leonard (84)…

Timeline Countdown: 19 days until the World Series opener, 22 nights until Halloween, 23 days until Standard Time…

Posted in Today's Post | No Comments »