Titanic

Prior to the tragedy 100 years ago, wireless communications in the U.S was close to anarchy. There wasn’t much public sentiment for regulating a technology that few fully understood or that was as intangible as the “airwaves.” But the upshot of the disaster was a universal call for government regulation of wireless in the progressive spirit of the day. Wireless was clearly too important now to be left solely to the vicissitudes of free enterprise. The regulation carried over to broadcasting a decade later. So when you’re filling out renewal forms or pondering the fate of your spectrum, you can blame that damn iceburg.