Newton Minow, former FCC Chairman, "vast wasteland" and Gilligan's ship, has died at 97
#1
Newton Minow, former FCC Chairman, "vast wasteland" and Gilligan's ship, has died at 97
Minow died of a heart attack on May 6, 2023.
He served as FCC Chairman from 1961-63. He was (in?)famous for a 1961 speech given at the National Association of Broadcasters convention.
... and because of that speech, when Sherwood Schwartz was coming up with Gilligan's Island, he named the doomed ship the S.S. Minnow. (The ship and the fish have two n's.)
From MSN's obit:
The "vast wasteland" remark and the Gilligan connection are the two things that I knew about Minow.
But he should be known for more than that.
Here's his MSN obit and links to the Wikipedia articles on Newton Minow and his vast wasteland speech.
And since it seems linked-to articles disappear, I'm including the text of the MSN obit ... if it matters.
He served as FCC Chairman from 1961-63. He was (in?)famous for a 1961 speech given at the National Association of Broadcasters convention.
When television is good, nothing—not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers—nothing is better. But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there for a day without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.
You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, Western bad men, Western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence and cartoons. And, endlessly, commercials — many screaming, cajoling and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you'll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, I only ask you to try it.
You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, Western bad men, Western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence and cartoons. And, endlessly, commercials — many screaming, cajoling and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you'll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, I only ask you to try it.
From MSN's obit:
The speech caused a sensation. "Vast wasteland" became a catch phrase. Jimmy Durante opened an NBC special by saying, "Da next hour will be dedicated to upliftin' da quality of television. ... At least, Newt, we're tryin'."
In a 2011 interview marking the 50th anniversary of the speech, Minow stated that consumer choice, fueled by the 1980s multi-channel transition, was the most important improvement in television in the decades since his speech; he lamented that this increased choice had eliminated the shared experience of the medium. Writing for Wired Magazine, Matthew Lasar pointed out:
Like so many media reformers, Minow strikes me as reluctant to acknowledge an obvious difference between 1961 and 2011. TV is not a vast wasteland anymore. It's a crazy, weed-filled, wonderful, out-of-control garden.
But he should be known for more than that.
Among the new laws during his tenure were the All-Channel Receiver Act of 1962, that required that TV sets pick up UHF as well as VHF broadcasts, which opened up TV channels numbered above 13 for widespread viewing. Congress also passed a bill that provided funds for educational television, and measures to foster communications satellites.
And since it seems linked-to articles disappear, I'm including the text of the MSN obit ... if it matters.
Spoiler:
Last edited by digidoh; 05-06-23 at 03:53 PM. Reason: Punctuation and added to wasteland speech