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Revision as of 16:45, 20 May 2005

Newton Norman Minow (born January 17, 1926) is best known for his Wasteland Speech, given to the National Association of Broadcasters convention on May 9, 1961. It was extremely critical of the state of television. At the time, he was serving as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. He was appointed to the FCC by John F. Kennedy.

He also wrote the regulations requiring TV's to receive both UHF and VHF, which was important in the creation of public television.

During World War II, Minow served as a sergeant in the US Army in the China/Burma/India theatre.

Upon graduation from Northwestern University Law school, he served as law clerk to Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson of the U.S. Supreme Court and the as assistant counsel to Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson.

He has also served as chairman of PBS and its predecessor, National Educational Television. He is one of the most recent presidents of the Carnegie Foundation, who are one of PBS' most influential sponsors, along with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

The "S.S. Minnow" of the 1964-1967 television show Gilligan's Island was named for him to express the producer's displeasure with Mr. Minow's "Vast Wasteland" speech.

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Books

• Abandoned in the Wasteland: Children, Television, and the First Amendment
  • ISBN 0809015897
• Presidential Television
  • ISBN 0465062741
• For Great Debates: A New Plan for Future Presidential TV Debates
  • ISBN 0870782126

External links

• Spoken word recordings of Newton Minow
• "Newton Minow" - biography at Museum of Broadcast Communications

• People stubs
• 1926 births