Re: TV

[Dave Faneuf <tklaundry@juno.com>]

On Thu, 20 Mar 2003 20:51:24 -0500 "Dan Billings"
<billings@suscom-maine.net> writes:
> CBS and NBC are going with regular prime time programming.  Fox and 
> ABC are
> continuing with non-stop coverage.
> 
> I'm glad to see that everyone is not moving in lock step.  I think 
> it was a
> close call whether or not to continue coverage all evening and it 
> makes
> sense to me that networks made different decisions.
> 
> Is it just me or do many of the TV reporters seem anxious for "shock 
> and
> awe" to begin?
> 
> -- Dan Billings, Bowdoinham, Maine


The "shock and awe" is what American TV has been waiting for,  how many
times last night was the attack on "targets of opportunity" described as
a misstep?  The world has been told by the Bush Administration to expect
an attack three times as great as Gulf War Episode I in this attack, so
this is what the executives have been anticipating and in this time of
reality TV anything less is not acceptable.
I am old enough to remember when every space launch was covered wall to
wall (the entire flight from lift off to splash down and beyond) today,
these things get bumped to the B or C segment of newscasts, most people
don't know when there is a shuttle in orbit, couldn't name the shuttle
and certainly can't name the crew (recent Columbia event excepted).  
As you probably have figured out, I am not a backer of this war, but I
certainly am concerned about the troops and support them and I insist on
seeing what is happening which is why I have had to resort to the BBC. 
They, not American TV, have been going non-stop with coverage since the
attack began with far more reporters in the field than anyone else. 
Americans, British and Iraqi's are about to die, but if it's more
important to you to see reruns of your CBS and NBC programs then I  am
happy they are accommodating you.
df
Dan, this is not an attack on you personally, this is something that has
been building with the dumbing down of America and the comments about not
everone marching in "lock-step" are what set it off.  It's not aimed at
you, I just am using your comments to vent.
rant over