Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Broadcast television networks -- the long goodbye.
From the New York Times...
I well remember the days of my childhood when families all across America would sit together in front of the TV and form a common culture, together exploring all the dramatic social and political issues of the 1960s -- war, peace, civil rights, the sexual revolution, nuclear disarmament, rock music, the drug culture -- while watching America's #1 show, The Beverly Hillbillies. Followed by Green Acres.
Oh, ain't it so.
... the cultural implications of the decline of broadcast television may be as profound as the business forces at play.
Broadcast television was “a place, an arena, where ideas were presented in a fashion in which people could become attached to or explore,” said Mr. Newcomb, the professor.
"Issues with civil rights and the women’s movement were embedded into entertainment programs and people would see them and either accept it or reject it," he said. "Today, you can watch TV and not have to be challenged."
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I well remember the days of my childhood when families all across America would sit together in front of the TV and form a common culture, together exploring all the dramatic social and political issues of the 1960s -- war, peace, civil rights, the sexual revolution, nuclear disarmament, rock music, the drug culture -- while watching America's #1 show, The Beverly Hillbillies. Followed by Green Acres.
