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John |
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Read excerpts
from the forthcoming book, "Passing Thru"
Reader
- SOUND OFF In 1971,
Superjock Larry Lujack described John Rook as "the greatest
program director of our time or any other time." In a
2001 R&R article, former ABC executive Bob Henabery is
quoted as saying that "Rook understood the importance of
doing everything right. He was a masterful Top 40
programmer." Republicans Are Adding
Weight to Reversal of F.C.C. Media Rule The FCC,
that agency intended to promote widespread local
ownership of broadcasting facilities and equal-time
opportunities on the nation's airwaves, has caved in
completely to a handful of wealthy monopolists. What
gives? And
when is the public going to say "Enough!"? by
Jim Wright, former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Localism's
Last Stand
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Rook's Daily
Clicks Radio Daily News Radio Ink LA Radio Radio & Records MusicBiz.com |
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John's Archives of Commentaries ... Race to the Bottom -- �When we allow complaints to languish for a year, the message is loud and clear that the FCC is not serious about enforcing our nation�s laws. Congress expected action from the FCC, but all too often our citizens� complaints are ignored.� (read)
Payola illegal, except for FCC chairman Michael Powell (read)
This (FCC) chairman, known for his inability to work with and/or get along with others, continues to blame everyone else for his own shortcomings. His apple falls far from the tree of his seemly diplomatic father. Powell 2 is a lightweight who could never have been considered for a big paying government job at the Department of Justice or the Federal Communications Commission were it not for affirmative action. He has no appreciation of those who don't march to the beat of his drum. Damn! They were right! (read) Ted Turner jumps ship, warns against FCC deregulation (read) Former President Bill Clinton: The FCC also opened the door to local TV-newspaper mergers in many places, so you'll be getting your news and information from the same company regardless of whether you're turning on the TV or opening the newspaper. Why is this bad? (read) John Nichols and Josh Silver: The Federal Communications Commission voted 3 to 2 to meet the demands of big communications corporations. Rigorously opposed by consumer, religious, labor, community and public interest groups across the country, FCC Chairman Michael Powell warped the decision-making process to deliver a result allowing conglomerates to buy up hundreds of newspapers, television and radio stations in communities across the United States. Competition, diversity and local content will be undermined in local markets and nationally. The FCC's decision was the product of a corrupt process that was awash in special-interest money, and that saw industries that are supposed to be regulated telling the regulators how to proceed (read)
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Darkness
lights deregulation issue.
Deregulation, once again is blamed for the biggest power blackout in our nation�s history. During the march to deregulate in recent years, our elected official$ were pur$uaded to let the owners of power company�s regulate themselves. The resulting cutbacks in personnel and services allowed the voltage barons to pocket the savings instead of plowing the profits back into the fail safe service they had promised.
With at least 50 million people in the dark, congress will be forced to shed some light on how democrats and republicans failed to agree on a workable plan for modernizing the nation�s electrical grids. After they get through placing the blame, don�t be surprised if another issue catches the attention of the public, allowing this vital problem to remain unsolved and swept under the congressional rug. Its how business is done in Washington.
The white house wagons have circled FCC chairman Michael Powell, who even with a stacked deck has failed miserably pushing the Bush doctrine of media deregulation.
Thanks to the internet, the congressional pendulum has swung in the favor of the public who now realize the media barons are only leasing � the public owned airwaves.
As the season for vote counting approaches, President Bush may begin to realize �regulation� is a word he might want to brush up on.
Lend your voice to regulate deregulation - Please go to: http://www.mediareform.net/petition.
It
only takes a minute.
Reader - SOUND-OFF
God Bless Bill & Janet
Gavin would contribute an important perspective of the media monopolies of today.
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The
FCC chairman Michael Powell was given his throne by Bill Clinton. It
shouldn't be that hard for President Bush to sweep his ilk from office.
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You say in your KABC chapter that Morton Downey Jr. was the first of the
"shock jocks?" Don't tell me his outrageous TV fiasco was on
radio first?
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After forty years in broadcasting, I retired last year. No room for
anyone except sales people anymore. And what do they have to sell?
Howard Stern, Opey & Anthony and an animal named Savage. Good
luck!
Mr. Rook:
You are such a gem! I love reading your
recollections and, I hope you know, I've always had the utmost respect
for your contributions. I thought it was kind of an interesting
juxtaposition on your work at WABC during the strike many years ago
(helping the corporation) and your pronounced position now against
massive consolidation that is considered by today's executives to be
anti-company. Do you think it's because the business of
broadcasters has fewer real broadcasters and that 30+ years ago the
landscape in radio was somewhat different? I guess it's the difference
between being a member of a collective rather than hoarding everything
for yourself. The absolutely amazing thing is that 3/5ths of the
guardians of the public trust at the FCC don't know what "public
trust" means. Or maybe they just don't care. I'm glad you do.
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I am 35 years into the Radio biz, and follow your brilliant comments on the state of radio with relish. Keep hammering these crooks that run Clear Channel and Viacom - because you speak for the hearts and minds of not just US radio people, but broadcasters around the globe. I am VERY concerned that the American public seems to have been lulled to sleep on the consolidation issue and the blatant corruption at the F.C.C. Bad news - it is not much better in Canada, Mr. Rook. Politicos get the "donations", and surprise, the same backers get to play fast and loose with their pack of stations....granted by the rubber stamp CRTC. In our country, FM'ers are averaging 24 % year over year profit- and screwing staff and public alike. Keep the faith.
I had the displeasure of working with him briefly in 1976,he was full of shit then and
is now, but on a grander scale.
It's hard for me to believe Rush, would even say something like this. Everybody who was in the music radio business in those days, knew that Top 40 was a "bottoms up" clear for music. Hell, the biggest complaint was that listening to those 2 huge signals at night, was that all you were playing was music we'd already dropped in the medium markets, because we had added them so far in front of LS and ABC. At any rate, maybe this wasn't something Rush knew in Mckeesport.
in radio as a sophomore in high school in 1969 and had already spent several years
as a loyal Art Roberts listener in Iowa. I was glad but not surprised to read
your opinion of him as a person and a talent because it so exactly matches
what I've always thought. I've always remembered that Art spoke one-on-one
with listeners. Also that he made a commercial a pleasant, helpful, even newsy