SHOW NOTES AND LINKS FOR ”PRESENTING THE PAST” EP. 4:
BROADCASTING IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST

Episode Description:

The fourth episode of “Presenting the Past” features Newton Minow, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President John F. Kennedy from 1961 until 1963. Minow would become a key figure in the establishment of public broadcasting in the U.S., and in this conversation, he reflects on his early vision for public service television.

Highlighted in this program are clips from the AAPB collection, including Minow’s famed “vast wasteland” speech to the National Association of Broadcasters in 1961, his lesser known address to the same organization the following year, as well as a panel discussion with former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt on the role of television in society.

Joining the discussion is Mr. Minow’s daughter, Mary Minow, Presidential Appointee to the National Museum and Library Services Board at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and current member of the AAPB Executive Advisory Council.

Credits:

Hosted, recorded, and edited by Christine Becker
Produced by Ryn Marchese
Post-production and theme music by Todd Thompson

Content mentioned in this episode:

Broadcasting in the Public Interest: The Newton Minow Collection
Newton N. Minow, Chairman, FCC speaking at the N.A.B. convention (WRVR) 1962
Prospects of Mankind with Eleanor Roosevelt; New Vistas for Television (WGBH) 1962
Ethic for Broadcasting; Lawmaker of the Art, pt. 1 (WDET) 1961
Newton N. Minow Address before the N.A.E.B. Convention in Washington, D.C. (WRVR) 1961

For more context to the topics discussed in this episode, explore relevant content in the AAPB below:

Collections

Edward R. Murrow