Newton Minow is one of the most controversial figures ever to chair the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Appointed in 1961 by President John F. Kennedy, Minow served only two years, but during that time he stimulated more public debate over television programming than any other chair in the history of the commission.

Trained at Northwestern University Law School, Minow’s public career began with his involvement in the administration of Illinois Governor Adlai Stevenson during the 1950s. At a very young age, Minow became a leading figure both on the governor’s staff and in his presidential campaigns of 1952 and 1956. Through the latter efforts, Minow became acquainted with members of the Kennedy circle and in 1960 worked for the Kennedy presidential bid, becoming close friends with the president’s brother, Robert Kennedy. Reportedly, the two men frequently talked at length about the increasing importance of television in the lives of their children. It therefore came as little surprise that after the election, Minow eagerly pursued the position of FCC chair. Some observers nevertheless considered the appointment unusual, given his lack of experience with the media industry and with communication law.

Appointed chair at the age of 34, Minow lost little time mapping out his agenda for television reform. In his first public speech at a national convention of broadcasting executives, Minow challenged industry leaders to “sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there without a book, magazine, newspaper, profit-and-loss sheet, or rating book to distract you—and keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that you will observe a vast wasteland.” Sharply critical of excessive violence, frivolity, and commercialism, Minow’s remarks sparked a national debate over the future of television. Although similar criticisms about television and popular culture had circulated widely during the late 1950s, Minow became the first chair of the FCC to specifically challenge the content of television programming and to urge significant reform. His characterization of the medium as a “vast wasteland” quickly became ubiquitous, especially in newsprint headlines and cartoons. During his two years in office, it was estimated that, other than the president, Minow generated more column inches of news coverage than any other federal official.

In part, Minow’s criticisms of television were linked to broader anxieties about consumerism, child rearing, and suburban living. Many social critics during this period worried that middle-class Americans had “gone soft” and lost their connection to public life. In an inaugural address that focused exclusively on foreign policy, President Kennedy implored Americans to revive their commitment to the urgent struggle for freedom around the globe. Shortly thereafter, Minow framed his critique of television along similar lines, arguing that the medium had become a form of escapism that threatened the nation’s ability to meet the challenge of global Communism. Moreover, he worried about the increasing export of Hollywood programming overseas and the impact it would have on perceptions of the United States among citizens of other countries. In the months following the speech, Minow advocated the diversification of programming with particular emphasis on educational and in formational fare. Confronted by powerful opposition among industry executives, he nevertheless continued to chide network programmers in speeches, interviews, and public appearances.

Although the Minow FCC never drafted specific programming guidelines, some argued that Minow employed a form of “regulation by raised eyebrow” that helped stimulate the production of programs favored by the FCC. Indeed, during the early 1960s, network news grew from adolescence to maturity, and many credit Minow for helping foster its growth. He especially was seen as a champion network documentary, a genre of programming that placed particular emphasis on educating the public about cold war issues. Many critics nevertheless contend that, beyond news, little changed in prime-time television during the Minow years, and some have suggested that, overall, the Minow FCC enjoyed few tangible policy accomplishments.

While that may have been true in the short run, the FCC chair played a leading role in the passage of two pieces of legislation that would have important long-term effects. The first was the All Channel Receiver Act of 1962, which required that all television sets sold in the United States be capable of picking up UHF (ultrahigh frequency) stations in addition to the VHF (very high frequency) stations that then dominated the medium. By the end of the 1960s, this law significantly increased the number of television stations and allowed the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network to achieve national coverage, making it truly competitive with the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS).

Second, Minow crafted the passage of legislation that ushered in the era of satellite communications. Under his leadership, various factions within the electronics and communications industries agreed to a pie-sharing arrangement that resulted in the organization of the Communications Satellite Corporation (Comsat) and ultimately the International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium (INTELSAT). Created with an eye toward attaining a strategic advantage over the Soviet Union, these U.S.-controlled organizations dominated the arena of satellite communications throughout the 1960s and much of the 1970s.

Shortly after the passage of these key pieces of legislation, Minow resigned from the FCC and returned to a lucrative private law practice, later becoming a partner in one of the most powerful communications law firms in the United States, Sidley and Austin. He remains an influential figure both in the media industry and in policy circles, and in 2001 he helped launch a campaign to get the federal government to fund the digitization of collections possessed by public and nonprofit institutions, making those resources available for free to the public via the Internet.