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 Remarks  of  FCC  Chairman  Kevin  J.  Martin  Common  Sense  Media  Awards 
 Washington,  D.  C.  September  6,  2006 


 As  Prepared  for  Delivery 
 Hello  everyone.  I  am  Kevin  Martin,  Chairman  of  the  FCC.  I  want  to  salute  Elmo  and  all  of  his  friends  at  the  Sesame  Workshop  for  doing  such  a  great  job  with  childrens 
 programming.  It  is  so  important  to  have  quality  shows  on  television  that  parents  can  watch  with  their  children. 


 Tonight  I  have  the  privilege  of  honoring  an  icon  in  the  history  of  television  and  extraordinary  leader  in  public  service,  Newton  Minow. 
 Chairman  Minow  and  I  are  connected  in  several  ways.  First,  his  daughter,  Martha,  was  my  and  my  wifes  first  professor  at  Harvard  Law  School.  Second,  I  want  to 
 make  clear  that  Newt,  not  I,  was  the  youngest  Chairman  of  the  FCC. 
 But  seriously,  as  FCC  Chairman,  Newt,  more  than  anyone,  stressed  the  importance  of  making  high  quality  programming  available  on  television. 


 He  focused  the  countrys  attention  on  the  subject  with  his  famous  1961  speech  decrying  the  vast  wasteland  of  television.  Newt  emphasized  that  he  was  speaking  not 
 only  as  the  Chairman  of  the  FCC,  but  as  a  television  viewer  and  as  the  husband  and  father  of  television  viewers. 


 Many  years  later,  Newt  said  that  he  was  surprised  that  the  speech  was  remembered  more  for  the  vast  wasteland  phrase  than  for  its  emphasis  on  the  public 
 interest,  which  is  what  he  intended.  In  the  speech  Newt  told  broadcasters  that  since  the  TV  industry  possessed  the  most  powerful  voice  in  America,  it  was  essential  to  make  that 
 voice  ring  with  intelligence  and  leadership. 
 In  challenging  broadcasters  to  do  better,  Newt  emphasized  that  more  than  ratings  should  govern  what  is  on  television.  Television  could  and  should  enrich  peoples  lives. 
 Newt  had  tremendous  insight  when  he  first  spoke  out.  Television  had  an  enormous  impact  on  the  public  then,  and  its  influence  on  our  society  has  only  increased  over  the 
 years. 
 But  it  was  not  just  his  insight;  it  was  his  courage  in  publicly  daring  the  industry  to  achieve  a  higher  vision  that  has  served  as  a  role  model  for  me.  And  while  the  industry 
 was  shocked  and  outraged,  he  stood  firm. 
 Years  later,  when  asked  how  he  handled  the  industrys  response,  he  stated,  When  you  are  35,  you  are  less  concerned  about  consequences  then  when  youre  65. 
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 While  his  point  may  be  true,  taking  on  an  industry  at  any  age  is  a  daunting  task. 
 I  have  personally  been  inspired  by  Newt's  courage  in  this  area.  In  fact,  it  was  in  reflecting  on  his  Vast  Wasteland  speech  several  years  ago  that  I  first  set  forth  what  I 
 thought  the  industry  should  do  to  give  parents  more  tools  for  parents  to  control  the  media:  broadcasters  should  adopt  a  Family  Hour  and  cable  operators  should  give  parents  more 
 control  over  their  programming. 
 And  so  it  is  now  my  profound  honor  to  present  Newton  Minow  with  the  2006  Common  Sense  Lifetime  Achievement  Award. 


 Congratulations. 
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