Newton Minow was a former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under President John F. Kennedy (1917–1963) who is best known for his “vast wasteland” speech, which aimed pointed criticism at commercial television.
- Died: May 6, 2023 (Who else died on May 6?)
- Details of death: Died of a heart attack in Chicago at the age of 97.
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Newton Minow’s legacy
Born in Milwaukee, Minow was a sergeant in World War II before coming home to earn his law degree from Northwestern University School of Law. His professional success came quickly thereafter. Throughout the 1950s, Minow served in several legal positions, including as law clerk to Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson (1890– 1953) of the Supreme Court of the United States and assistant counsel to Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson (1900–1965).
Minow became a household name in 1961 when Kennedy appointed him to the FCC, where he served as chair. Later that same year, Minow delivered his famous, and at times controversial, “vast wasteland” speech, in which he criticized the quality of commercial television.
Minow would depart the FCC in 1963, but he spent the rest of his life advocating for public television, educational content, and more quality TV programs. He served on the Board of Governors of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), among others, and in 1988, Minow recruited future President Barack Obama to work at his law firm. In 2016, Obama honored Minow with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Notable quote
“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.”—Television and the Public Interest address, May 9, 1961
Tributes to Newton Minow
Full obituary: The New York Times
