by Elizabeth M Young

Created on: July 30, 2010

Despite the great divide among those who hate television and those who love television, there will always be a place for traditional broadcast media. This is for several reasons:

First is the ability to watch movies and premium entertainment events at home, without interruption and for a lot less than they cost in the theatres or concert halls.

Second is the ability of new entities to develop, produce and broadcast television specials, series and films of incredible quality and creativity, and without the commercial, social, ethnic, demographic and other limitations and constraints of the major broadcast networks.

Third is the ability to customize television watching to individual needs, schedules and interests. In fact television can be customized to multiple individual interests within the same household. With recording and parental controls, a person can watch a custom made lineup of movies and shows simply by playing the recordings or watching the approved channels. In other words, people have not been tied to the television broadcasting schedules for decades, thanks to an evolving line of recording options that began with VHS tapes and devices.

Fourth is the variety of programming that ranges from educational to informational to downright guilty pleasures of entertaining. This is perfectly fine. If people want to have lowbrow or simple entertainment, that is their choice. And some surprisingly sophisticated people are interested in Snookie and bachelorettes. But others can find out about crab hauling, auto repossessions, exercise programs, health matters, hobbies and interests and surgical grand rounds, too.

Fifth, some people, particularly the disabled and elderly, have television that gives them news, travel and entertainment that they are entitled to enjoy when they cannot go out and live active lifestyles.

Finally, local news, business advertising, civil alarms, crisis reporting and information is available on the television. There are also locally produced PBS programs and other special programming. This is the same reason why print news is still in business: more in depth local ads, news and announcements.

Television services now include multimedia and interactive features, such as AT&T's Uverse, which links with Yahoo photos for viewing the photo collection on the big screen. On demand and pay per view gives access to sports events, movies, concerts and special events without ever having to leave the home and clog up the roads with more cars and post event traffic jams.

In the most publicized factors about television, it is ironic that the stereotypical "couch potato" is talked about when? During television broadcasts! As far as long periods of sedentary behavior, the computer is a much bigger culprit in higher income homes than the television has ever been. As for lightweight content, the computer and the internet offer vastly more of that, too.

Television is not only here to stay, it is going to be an evolving and interactive part of home life for as long as there are satellites, the ability to get any kind of output from centralized cable installations and functioning power grids.

Learn more about this author, Elizabeth M Young.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.