Newton N. Minow is Senior Counsel at Sidley Austin and the former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission. Minow served in the U.S Army during World War II, before receiving a bachelor’s degree and a law degree from Northwestern University. His career includes service as law clerk to Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson of the U.S. Supreme Court and as assistant counsel to Governor Adlai E. Stevenson. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed him chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). He drafted legislation that expanded the broadcast spectrum and promoted the implementation of communication satellite technology. It was during his tenure as FCC chairman that Minow gave his landmark speech to the National Association of Broadcasters, in which he referred to television as a “vast wasteland.” Minow was honored with a Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2016.
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Newton N. Minow Gallery
