Five in a Row: Media Stories December
In a new tradition for Full Frontal PR Report, we’ll take a look at some stories in the news that are just too unique to pass up. Or, strange!
We don’t normally use this space to respond to reporting in The New York Times. But we are now. Times affected me a lot because of its inadequate job in stating the facts. Rather than write to their Ombudsman (good guy, way too busy to respond to most), I decided to send this to highly opinionated FFPR Report readers to see what the take is on a cumulative level. [Write back.]
On Friday December 10th The Times reported on cell phones being banned on planes—something most travelers are aware of—and about new plans for phones to be allowed aloft.
This is a debate that’s been going on since PDAs have been on our belt loops.
The story, called “Cellphones [sic] at 35,000 Feet?” was astounding because most of the reporting was on social implications of phoning on planes rather than the dubious, at best, laws put into effect to ban all of our favorite technologies in the air.
Like most industries, this is a matter of who is making money. In 1997, it was GTE and AT&T with seatback phones costing around $5 per minute. Today, a so-called solution to the problem of phones banned on planes is a special device on American Airlines flights where, naturally, one pays extra for the privilege. American is the airline who starts charging in a few weeks for all their meals on planes. And headsets. And cocktails. (And air?)
Still, the most troubling section of the article stated the unofficial reason for a crash of a European commuter plane (without comment) as, “a passenger apparently took a cellphone call” right when “the pilot engaged autopilot controls.” Purely from a liability standpoint, one has to wonder if it were so simple for a phone to cause such a tragedy, would the airlines even allow the appearance of a mobile device on an airplane? It seems highly unlikely.
Also, let’s just think for a second on the myriad planes that would have already crashed if that instant caused such a catastrophe.
As a pager veteran, clicking away, I am insulted when Blackberry usage is inferred as something dangerous and untoward. The December 21 Times commentary says the FCC wants special lights on Blackberry devices so flighty [yeah] attendants can see someone transmitting!
The same FCC is, however, quite aware that “radio waves” carrying the signals to my handheld are the exact same satellite waves used by Song, JetBlue, and others to receive satellite signals (legally and profitably) for the enjoyment of their lawful and less onerous passengers. I, however, am metaphorically smacked by flight attendants for holding my device to a window so I can “send and receive” with my office. That’s shoddy treatment of a frequent business flyer.
I often sit fidgety in coach pondering why passengers don’t revolt against such Draconian rules and stand up with a giant refrain: “Exactly what would my personal device do on this plane that is considered so wrong? Besides not making the airlines any money, I guess.”
Now onto the subject of Who Are They Kidding and one we’ll look back on…From the head of Netflix who actually told USA Today the following oh-so-untrue line:
Come on. VOD will be the rage and DVDs the next fax machine as soon as broadband is installed in 75 percent of our domiciles. When Americans don’t have to leave home, the marketplace hums. As for Reed Hasting’s comments, I’m a huge Netflix fan, but his media trainer/PR firm forgot the most important words to use in a controversial interview: “might be”.
In music…Robbie Williams is a pop singer (Angel was his one chart-topper) who does fine partnering with Elton and Neil Tenant in the UK—and was once part of a huge Brit boy band. A few years ago, he made a deal with the devil (the multi-conglomerate EMI) to set himself up as the next Elvis here. They paid him upwards of $100 million in fees and profit-sharing, moved him to Hollywood, and got him booked on a boatload of TV.
Well, it didn’t work—his album tanked. That guy has done everything he can to make serious waves here and on Christmas a live interview aired on England’s Real Radio—and probably satellite here—tries to turn him into the next James Dean or, more aptly, Colin Farrell. In the piece, conveniently leaked to papers everywhere, but only picked up in Ottawa so far, Robbie tells the world he would “definitely” still do drugs if they didn’t make him fat.
From where I sit, laughing, this is a first. It’s definitely new, different, and strange. Got him headlines…but drugs? How 1985. And, uh, fat? Not an image a failed sex symbol needs to give his fans. Nice ugh-PR move, Robbie. Enjoy LA. We’ll see you on Hollywood Squares.
And now this! You know how every year or so a new technology bites the dust? Well, here’s one… Radio Shack, a store moniker for the ages, no longer sells a single radio! How’s that for a summation of our times. “The Shack” sure must have been big in the 60s when transistors were hot. Next up: Burger King selling just soy, perhaps?
Finally, a line from no less than Boston Legal, an over-the-top and unfortunately named ABC program. One attorney remarks “Happy New Year” to another, and his colleague simply responds with: “Next year could never be as good as this one.”
Don’t you wish everyone spoke like that?
See many of you next year. Everyone else, keep in touch.
Richard Laermer—RLM’s CEO—is author of new Full Frontal PR (www.FullFrontalPR.com). He will celebrate this Christmas on airplanes and will not send out group e-mails of a kooky, tacky, synthetic link that says I sincerely wish you a great holiday, and a happy and healthy New Year. He dislikes eye-rolling from his friends.