1961
FCC Chairman Newton Minnow makes his famous “vast wasteland” speech at the meeting of the National Association of Broadcasters. In his speech, Minnow derides television programming as a “vast wasteland” of senseless violence, mindless comedy, and offensive advertising. He also warns the networks to live up to their responsibilities to the public, saying, “It is not enough to cater to the nation’s whims; you must also serve the nation’s needs.”
