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find out. Just pull the plug on
your TY set for one week. See
what kind of ruckus is raised. Are
your children suddenly at a loss
for what to do? Do they get into
mischief out of sheer boredom?
Are they unable to entertain
themselves or to find useful activ–
ities to be involved in? l f the
a11swer is yes to any of these, you
have a problem on your hands.
Air Pollution
Yarious studies have come up
with figures indicating that the
average American child watches
anywhere from 20 to 40 hours of
TY a week. Often that's more
time than is spent in
school. In fact, that's
more time than is spent in
anythi ng else except
sleeping.
Wbat do they see during
that time? Certain pro–
grams of educational val–
ue? Yes. Fortunately. Bu t
also, at the time reports
were compiled, half of all
children's viewing time
was spent watching adult
prograrns. Thus, by the
age of 17, it was computed
that a child will have wit–
nessed roughly 18 ,000
murders and other acts of
violence. One youngster was heard
to comment that he had seen so
much violencc on the video screen
that if he saw the real thing it
wouldn't even phase him.
lt's not just the physical vio–
lence. There's also the psycholog–
icaJ violence- the put-down hu–
mor, the scheming and plotting,
the name-calling and cynical, un–
kind barbs that children so quick–
ly imitate.
TV programming carries a
heavy emphasis on sex. One has
only to listen to children who
have a heavy TV diet to realize
tbat tbey have lost thei r inno–
cence. One person summed it up
when she lamented that "chil–
dren, t hey see so much now. We
don't know anything they don 't
know any more. All the secrets
are out."
Little wonder- sexuaJ subjects
8
dealt with on TV are usually of
the sensational or aberrant sort.
Ranking among TV's highest
profit makers is one corporation
that specializes in raunchy game
shows based on bad taste, crude
jokes and sexual innuendos.
A recent Gallup poli found that
many Americans believe the qual–
ity of family life has declined
during the past 15 years and they
blame television as one of the
chief factors. A majority found
that "television programs hurt
family life with too much empha–
sis on sex and violence."
But can "television" really be
blamed?
Who makcs television what it
is?
Why ls TV the Way lt
l s?
Television producers and execu–
tives are not entirely responsible
for what is on the tube. They are
businessmen and it's basically a
matter of profit in a highly com–
petitive industry. And the profit
potential is enormous, as evi–
denced particularly in the U.S.,
where ninety-eight percent of
American homes have at least one
working TV set- some 100 mil–
I
ion TVs altogether. And which
sets are tuned to which channels
is the most important factor
deciding which programs succeed
or fail.
Herbert W. Armstrong, editor
in chief of
The Plain Truth
mag–
azine was for many years in the
advertising business. Drawing
upon his experience, he clearly
analyzed why television is the
way it is:
"The commercial and indus–
t r ial interests who sponsor and
pay for tclevision programming
and broadcasting want the largest
mass audience for their money.
It's a matter of supply and
demand- and the public de–
mands programs that are excit–
ing, shocking, daring-and this
means violence and sex."
Mr. Armstrong continues: "In
a number of countries, and cer–
tainly in the United States, the
major cost of television produc–
tion and broadcast ing is derived
from the commercials–
the advertising. Rates are
based on viewer-ratings at
the various hours of day
or night- the number of
viewers tuned in. The
competition for high rat–
ings is furious. Millions
upon millions of dollars
are involved. T he
concern
is
not
for what viewers
ought
to see, but for what
the largest number will
prefer to see.
"And television ex peri–
ence s hows the public
wants,
not what is
good
for it, but what will
enter–
tain.
The average TV diet would
not be filled with violence, mur–
der, crime and illicit sex if the
viewing public did not prefer that
to a diet of education, instruction
and useful information. The prof–
it motive rules. And the profit
motive says, ' J ones pays the
freight; give Jones what he
wants!' ' '
Human nature being what it is,
the majority of people demand
less than worthwhile programs.
What it all boils down to is that,
in today's society, if the content
of television programming is go–
ing to be regulated it will be
regulated by the use of the chan–
nel selector and the onjoff switch
on the TV set in
your
home!
Addítional Static
Just sitting for hours staring at
the electric window teaches chil-
The PLAIN TRUTH