TELEVISION AND THE FUTURE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 89, Issue 301, 21 December 1945, Page 4

TELEVISION AND THE FUTURE

'"TELEVISION has been a good deal in the news lately and with some degree of excitement man awaits developments. He will be able to seq All Black Rugby teams of the future play against South Africa on the red dirt fields of Johannesburg, or against England at beloved Twickenham. More than that the racing fan will be able to follow the horse he has drawn in the office sweep, or has other financial interests in, race to victory (or come last) in future Melbourne Cups. Even the famous Aintree course will be revealed by the wonders of television. Not only in sport, but wherever there is a spectacle, vision will be added to the spoken word as it comes across the air. Whether it be a solemn religious ceremony, the stage in all its glory, Rugby, or horse racing—it will all be brought into the homes of the people at the turning of a knob. It sounds rather fantastic, but we, who live in an age of miracles, know it to be true. What we do not know, however, is whether it will be for good or ill of man. We assume it will be for his good, because, looking at man generally, he has adapted himself to changes and progressed. He was chary of the motorcar, had it red-flagged as a dangerous contraption when it first appeared, then welcomed it as something of value. Having got over his fright he welcomed the internal combustion engine, then adjusted his mode of life to make it his slave. So it will be with television, but more adjustments will have to be made in man’s life to appreciate it. For instance, there will be no need for announcers. The spectacle will be there for you to see. No need to tell you that it is Bing Crosby or Paul Robeson singing, or it is Sherratt or Boggs racing to score, because you will see and will know. Nor will it be necessary to tell you that Lofty Blomfield has an octopus clamp (that, is probably out of date now) on King Elliott. Your own eyes will see for themselves. ’Whether seeing is going to destroy the old thrill of hearing from an excited announcer is another story. In what other ways will television alter the mode of life of man? Will it mean that man will stop fit home, to see rather than go to the actual scene? Radio has already affected gate takings at sports meetings—fans staying at home to listen in to some far distant Rugby match, for instance. Rugby countered that to some extent by installing radios on the ground, and spectators had the somewhat doubtful thrill of being able to see one match in front of them and listen in to ahother played hundreds of miles away. In the old days, when means of communication were slower, crowds gathered to hear the news of great events. How many people can still vividly remember William Webb winning the sculling championship of the world in Australia, the late Mr. Fred Webb Jones coming out on some stray balcony somewhere and telling the assembled crowd? How many can remember the spontaneous celebration? People of those days kicked their hats home from post offices to express their feelings. To-day hats hang sedately on pegs in passage-ways at home, and man sits beside a radio, his face rising and falling as the fortunes of those he is listening to rise and fall. Hats are rarely kicked home these days because people sit and listen rather than go out and take part. Television and all its wonders will come, but man, in adapting himself to the change, must be careful that he does not destroy too much self-expression. If no young players are coming on no future Garrison or Queen Alexandra Bands will go to contests, no Rugby will be played. It is to be hoped that when television does come and the knob is twisted at home, it will not. be an empty field or stage that greets the listening, anticipatory radio spectator because everybody is at home hoping to see and hear the easy way. In other words, we have to make sure that things do not come too easily, or we will cease to be men at all! Man may be getting near to an era when it will be the kneb that does things, not man.