>>> NO ONE DID MORE TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF TELEVISION IN THE UNITED STATES THEN NEWTON MINOW.

HE HAD A HAND IN THE CREATION OF WT GW, PPS, AND NEARLY EVERY PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE.

HE WAS A CHICAGO CIVIC TITAN WHO PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE RISE OF BARACK OBAMA AND HIS BEEN A GUIDING LIGHT FOR THIS PROGRAM AND THE STATION FOR DECADES.

NEWTON MINOW DIED OVER THE WEEKEND AT THE AGE OF 97.

HE WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR, AMONG MANY OTHER THINGS, THE FAMOUS WORDS HE UTTERED TO TELEVISION BROADCASTERS BACK IN 1961.

>> KEEP YOUR EYES GLUED TO THAT SET UNTIL THE STATION SIGN IS OVER.

I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT WHAT YOU WILL OBSERVE IS A VAST WASTELAND .

>> NEWTON MINOW WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR THOSE WORDS SPOKEN TO TELEVISION EXECUTIVES IN 1961 WHEN HE WAS CHAIRMAN OF THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION.

HE WANTED THE INDUSTRY TO USE PUBLIC AIRWAYS FOR GOOD, NOT JUST FOR PROFIT.

>> I THOUGHT THAT USING THIS MEDIUM , CERTAINLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT, BUT ALSO FOR EDUCATION , STIMULATION, AND INSPIRATION.

>> HIS ENTIRE LIFE'S WORK WAS DEVOTED TO STRENGTHENING THE INSTITUTIONS OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY.

HIS LIFE STORY , A QUINTESSENTIAL AMERICAN STORY, A JEWISH IMMIGRANT FROM MILWAUKEE SERVING IN THE ARMY AND BECOMING THE FIRST IN HIS FAMILY TO GRADUATE COLLEGE.

GOING ON TO GET A LAW DEGREE FROM NORTHWESTERN.

THAT IS WHERE HE MET HIS FUTURE WIFE OF 70+ YEARS, JOSEPHINE.

NEWTON MINOW WORKED ON THE TWO PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS BEFORE SIGNING ONTO JFK'S 1960 BED.

LATER TELLING THAT MEETING KENNEDY WAS LIKE LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT .

>> YET A MARVELOUS, QUICK SENSE OF HUMOR.

APART FROM CHARM HE HAD A FIRST-CLASS TO INTELLECT.

>> MINOW GAVE HIS FAMED SPEECH WHICH EXHORTED TELEVISION EXECUTIVES TO DO BETTER.

ALL TELEVISIONS WERE ABLE TO RECEIVE UHF SIGNALS AS WELL AS THE FIRST EVER COMMUNICATION SATELLITES.

>> I SAID, MR. PRESIDENT, COMMUNICATION SATELLITES ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN SENDING A MAN INTO SPACE.

HE SAID, WHY IS THAT?

I SAID, COMMUNICATION SATELLITES WILL SET IDEAS .

IDEAS LAST LONGER THAN PEOPLE.

>> HE APPROPRIATED FUNDS FOR PUBLIC TELEVISION AND PBS WAS EVENTUALLY BORN.

>> WTTW TO THE AIR.

>> IN 1967, IN CHICAGO, A FLEDGLING EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION CALLED ON MINOW TO BECOME CHAIRMAN OF ITS BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

HE AND JOSEPHINE WERE ACTIVE IN SUPPORTING WTTW FROM ITS BIRTH.

>> MY WIFE WAS ONE OF MANY WHO WENT DOOR TO DOOR IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD , KNOCKING ON EVERYONE, ASKING FOR $5.00, $10 EURO CONTRIBUTION.

>> UNDER MINOW'S GUIDANCE WTTW BECAME THE MOST WATCHED PUBLIC TV STATION IN THE COUNTRY.

IT PAVED THE WAY FOR PROGRAMS LIKE CHICAGO TONIGHT IN THE WEEK IN REVIEW.

MINOW REMAINED A LONGTIME STATION TRUSTEE.

IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, MINOW FAMOUSLY HIRED A YOUNG COMMUNITY ORGANIZER JUST OUT OF LAW SCHOOL NAMED BARACK OBAMA.

OBAMA SAYS HE OWES MINOW A GREAT DEBT , PARTICULARLY BECAUSE HE INTRODUCED HIM TO ANOTHER YOUNG LAWYER NAMED MICHELLE ROBINSON WHO HE, OF COURSE, MARRIED.

MINOW WAS AN EARLY SUPPORTER OF OBAMA'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN.

>> HE'S GOT ACCOMMODATION OF TWO THINGS.

A FIRST-CLASS MIND AND A FIRST-CLASS TEMPERAMENT.

>> MINOW WAS ALSO DRIVING FORCE IN THE CREATION OF TELEVISED PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES.

HE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN EVERYONE STARTING WITH THE IMPETUS KENNEDY-NIXON DEBATE OF 1960.

>> I NEED TO EVALUATE THAT PERSON AND MAKE A JUDGMENT WHETHER TO VOTE FOR THEM OR NOT.

>> IN 2016, PRESIDENT OBAMA AWARDED MINOW THE PRESIDENTIAL AWARD OF FREEDOM.

HE IS SURVIVED BY HIS THREE DAUGHTERS.

MINOW WAS 97 YEARS OLD.

HIS FORMER INTERN, FORMER PRESIDENT OBAMA, REACTED OVER THE WEEKEND SAYING, GO, MINOW EMBODIES THE IDEAL OF PUBLIC