NewtonN.Minow:"TelevisionandthePublicInterest"Butwhentelevisionisbad,nothingisworse.Iinviteyoutositdowninfrontofyourtelevisionsetwhenyourstationgoesontheairandstaytherewithoutabook,magazine,newspaper,profitandlosssheetorratingbooktodistractyou--andkeepyoureyesgluedtothatsetuntilthestationsignsoff.Icanassureyouthatyouwillobserveavastwasteland.Youwillseeaprocessionofgameshows,violence,audienceparticipationshows,formulacomediesabouttotallyunbelievablefamilies,bloodandthunder,mayhem,violence,sadism,murder,westernbadmen,westerngoodmen,privateeyes,gangsters,moreviolence,andcartoons.And,endlessly,commercials--manyscreaming,cajoling,andoffending.Andmostofall,boredom.True,youwillseeafewthingsyouwillenjoy.Buttheywillbevery,veryfew.AndifyouthinkIexaggerate,tryit.Isthereonepersoninthisroomwhoclaimsthatbroadcastingcan'tdobetter?Well,aglanceatnextseason'sproposedprogrammingcangiveuslittleheart.Of73and1/2hoursofprimeeveningtime,thenetworkshavetentativelyscheduled59hourstocategoriesofaction-adventure,situationcomedy,variety,quiz,andmovies.Isthereonenetworkpresidentinthisroomwhoclaimshecan'tdobetter?Well,isthereatleastonenetworkpresidentwhobelievesthattheothernetworkscan'tdobetter?用心爱心专心Gentlemen,yourtrustaccountingwithyourbeneficiariesisoverdue.Neverhavesofewowedsomuchtosomany.Whyissomuchoftelevisionsobad?Ihaveheardmanyanswers:demandsofyouradvertisers;competitionforeverhigherratings;theneedalwaystoattractamassaudience;thehighcostoftelevisionprograms;theinsatiableappetiteforprogrammingmaterial--thesearesomeofthem.Unquestionably,thesearetoughproblemsnotsusceptibletoeasyanswers.ButIamnotconvincedthatyouhavetriedhardenoughtosolvethem.Idonotaccepttheideathatthepresentover-allprogrammingisaimedaccuratelyatthepublictaste.Theratingstellusonlythatsomepeoplehavetheirtelevisionsetsturnedonandofthatnumber,somanyaretunedtoonechannelandsomanytoanother.Theydon'ttelluswhatthepublicmightwatchiftheywereofferedhalf-a-dozenadditionalchoices.Arating,atbest,isanindicationofhowmanypeoplesawwhatyougavethem.Unfortunately,itdoesnotrevealthedepthofthepenetration,ortheintensityofreaction,anditneverrevealswhattheacceptancewouldhavebeenifwhatyougavethemhadbeenbetter--ifalltheforcesofartandcreativityanddaringandimaginationhadbeenunleashed.Ibelieveinthepeople'sgoodsenseandgoodtaste,andIamnotconvincedthatthepeople'stasteisaslowassomeofyouassume.Myconcernwiththeratingservicesisnotwiththeiraccuracy.Perhapstheyare用心爱心专心accurate.Ireallydon'tknow.What,then,iswrongwiththeratings?It'snotbeentheiraccuracy--it'sbeentheiruse.Certainly,Ihopeyouwillagreethatratingsshouldhavelittleinfluencewherechildrenareconcerned.Thebestestimatesindicatethatduringthehoursof5to6P.M.sixtypercentofyouraudienceiscomposedofchildrenundertwelve.Andmostyoungchildrentoday,believeitornot,spendasmuchtimewatchingtelevisionastheydointheschoolroom.Irepeat--letthatsinkin--mostyoungchildrentodayspendasmuchtimewatchingtelevisionastheydointheschoolroom.Itusedtobesaidthattherewerethreegreatinfluencesonachild:home,school,andchurch.Today,thereisafourthgreatinfluence,andyouladiesandgentlemencontrolit.Ifparents,teachers,andministersconductedtheirresponsibilitiesbyfollowingtheratings,childrenwouldhaveasteadydietoficecream,schoolholidays,andnoSundayschool.Whataboutyourresponsibilities?Istherenoroomontelevisiontoteach,toinform,touplift,tostretch,toenlargethec...
