As the old year exits stage right and the new year makes its way to center stage, we thought we'd string together a compendium of quotes which appeared in RBR/TVBR during the past year. Today: May 2004

* "Despite the denials by a spokeswoman for the show, the action appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq." - - Sinclair Broadcast Group, on its decision to black out an ABC Nightline recitatal of the war dead in Iraq (5/3/04 RBR #86)

* "There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq. War is an awful, but sometimes necessary business. Your decision to deny your viewers an opportunity to be reminded of war's terrible costs, in all their heartbreaking detail, is a gross disservice to the public, and to the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. It is, in short, sir, unpatriotic. I hope it meets with the public opprobrium it most certainly deserves." - - Sen. John McCain, on the Sinclair "ABC Nightline" preemtion (5/3/04 RBR #86)

* "This move may be providing a chilling look into the future if we allow media ownership to be consolidated into fewer and fewer hands, as Michael Powell's FCC seems intent on doing. Here we have a case of one corporation making a decision for viewers in eight markets. That's already deeply troubling. Unless we stop the current trend and take steps to ensure independence and diversity in the media, the situation will become much worse. Access to diverse voices is vital to our democracy. Policy makers should take note of this action by Sinclair Broadcast Group and put the brakes on media consolidation before it's too late." - - Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), on the Sinclair "ABC Nightline" preemtion (5/3/04 RBR #86)

* "The Commission's actions have further muddied the already vague definition of indecency, left broadcasters to guess which words and phrases will subject them to strict liability, and offer no guidance as to when, if ever, the context of a given program will outweigh its presumed offensiveness." - - RTNDA, on the FCC and indecency (5/3/04 RBR #86)

* "Unfortunately that legislation has stalled in the US Senate. If the Senate doesn't vote in this bill, S. 2056, in the next few days, it will likely die." - - Brent Bozell of the Parents Television Council on the apparent demise of the "Broadcast Decency Enforcement Act of 2004" (5/4/04 RBR #87)

* "More uplifting content than usual, but it is taking Mr. Stern's time and energy away from sphincters, flatulence and all the other vulgarities he has a constitutional right to obsess about." Adam Cohen in the New York Times on Howard Stern's sudden obsession with First Amendment issues (5/4/04 RBR #87)

* "We're far from really out of the woods." - - Saga Communications CEO Ed Christian in his Q1 conference call with Wall Street analysts. (5/5 RBR #88)

* "I have decided to take some time off to focus on my health, so that when I come back, I am at 100%. While I am gone, I have complete confidence in Mark along with all of the managers at Clear Channel to keep things running smoothly." - - Lowry Mays, in a company announcement that Mark Mays had been named interim CEO of Clear Channel Communications. (5/10 RBR #91)

* "I think that we've got the right people involved...[but] the last thing this thing needs is another reorg.?" - - Air America President Jon Sinton, following the resignations of CEO Mark Walsh, Chairman Evan Cohen, Vice-Chairman/investor Rex Sorensen and EVP/Sales and Marketing Jacqui Rossinsky. (5/10 RBR #91)

* "As a candidate for Congress, I bring the perspective of being a small business owner who with my late wife, Lynn, built a group of broadcast stations from scratch as well as being the dad of my two boys. In other words, someone who understands what people are up against in their everyday lives at home and work." - - Magnum Broadcasting owner Dave Magnum announcing his bid for the US House from Wisconsin's 2nd District. (5/12 RBR #93)

* "The beauty of multi-channel cable and satellite is that they offer exposure to new and previously unfamiliar channel offerings. Fifteen new multicultural channels - - most of which are minority-controlled - - are in various stages of development. Under ala carte, viewers would seldom purchase channels they've had no chance to see. New channels would need to build loyalty through word of mouth, while investing tens of millions of dollars over a period of years providing network quality programming." - - David Honig of the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council (5/14/04 RBR #95)

* "There's no question that optimism prevails right now in the executive suite. The nation's top business leaders are telling us that they believe in the US economy and its inherent strengths." - - Chief Executive magazine Chairman/CEO Edward M. Kopko (5/20/04 RBR #99)

* "The cable industry will no longer be able to hide behind Chicken Little predictions not that Congressional leaders from both parties have requested that the Federal Communications Commission conduct a rapid factual study of how allowing consumers to pick their own cable channels could work in the cable and satellite marketplace." Gene Kimmelman of the Consumers Union on a planned FCC study on a la carte (5/21/04 RBR #100)

* "I think a number of us have been pushing for it. The problem is they focus on how much money they have in a production budget, and by the same token I'll see people go out and spend so much on making a commercial that they haven't enough money left over to buy four spots. So you know what, don't bother. You know it works the other way too. Maybe you should be buying print for that money instead of making a $700K commercial, you schmucks!" - - Jon Mandel, Chairman/MediaCom US and Chief Global Buying Officer MediaCom Worldwide, on the need to film different versions of the same spot to more effectively target consumers. (5/26/04 RBR #103)

* "Do we want Opie & Anthony? Do we want Mancow? Do we want Howard Stern? We're talking to all of them." - - Sirius Satellite Radio CEO Joe Clayton at the company's annual shareholders meeting. (5/26 RBR #103)

* "It is abhorrent that the American taxpayer is paying to broadcast what is in effect pro-torture propaganda to American troops. I ask you to consider removing Mr. Limbaugh from the radio network to protect our troops from these reckless and dangerous messages." - - Media Matters for America President/CEO David Brock in a letter to Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld about Rush Limbaugh's presence on American Forces Radio and Television Service (5/27/04 RBR #104)