Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site dartvax.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!dartvax!merchant
From: merchant@dartvax.UUCP (Peter Merchant)
Newsgroups: net.music
Subject: Videos & "Morality"
Message-ID: <2318@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-Aug-84 08:33:16 EDT
Article-I.D.: dartvax.2318
Posted: Mon Aug 20 08:33:16 1984
Date-Received: Wed, 22-Aug-84 03:53:50 EDT
Organization: Dartmouth College
Lines: 44

{ I like big...things. }

You may be able to lock out your cable channel, but many video
programs are moving off cable and onto the networks or into 
syndication.

NBCs "Friday Night Videos" is the forerunner and brought the
concept of a "video" to a mass audience.  Also, for those of
you who truly dispair of it, NBC has begun broadcasting "Friday
Night Videos" over their satellite to radio stations.  Thus,
check with your local NBC affiliate and you may be pleased to
discover that you can get it in stereo.

ABC has recently entered the competition with "ABC Rocks", a
very weak half-hour attempt to pull viewers from Friday Night
Videos.  I saw it when it first debuted, right after ABC
Nightlines on the spot and hard nosed look at The Jacksons.
No word of stereo simulcasts.  It also seems to have disappeared
from our local viewing area, at least as far as I can see.

There are also many other video programs in syndication.  I'm
afraid you are going to have to protect your young child some
other way, possibly by throwing your TV set out the window and
reading.

As for the "morality" question, I have to agree that it is not up
to the television networks/cable networks to protect the children
of today as much as it is the parents responsibility.  As it is,
though, MTV realises that it is in it's better interests to avoid
the "questionable" portion of many videos.  After all, if MTV started
showing bloodshed, mayhem, violence, sex, and other yucky things,
parents will start complaining to the local cable carriers/network
affiliates/local stations.  And usually the non-cable people are
very worried about public opinion of their station because that
amounts to ratings.  MTV is concerned because if they get too nasty,
they may find local cable carriers getting rid of them.  And that
means lack of bucks.

Oh!  By the way, MTV may soon have a "competitor" of sorts.  Ted
Turner has decided to go into the video cable biz.  His video channel
will be a more "Adult Contemporary" format, with the mellower stuff
that you don't usually see on MTV.
--
                                          Peter Merchant