Moving pictures, shaping minds

By Pramod De Silva

Pictures from a distance. This is essentially what television means. Usually shortened to TV, it is such an integral part of our lives that we do not think twice about the sheer magic behind the technology. As Sir Arthur C Clarke once said, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic” and television is no exception.

Just imagine it - you are settled on a cosy sofa in the living room of your Colombo house, watching a Barclays Premier League soccer match in England, 10,000 Km away, ‘live’ on your TV screen. Isn’t that magical?

This is just one example of the power and global reach of television, which has come a long way since John Logie Baird invented a crude mechanical method of transmitting pictures from a distance. The electronic method of transmitting and receiving pictures invented by EMI later gained ground and is in use to this day, although better technologies are around.

Today, we cannot imagine a world without television. It has virtually taken over our lives. We have access to hundreds of channels, terrestrial and satellite, 24/7, 365 days a year at the press of a button or a flick of a switch on a remote control. Most channels can now be accessed on the Internet as well.

We do not think twice about watching ‘live’ an event happening half a world away. It brings wars, sports events, international summits and natural calamities to our living rooms. Television has indeed made our world a smaller place. Here in Sri Lanka, television is only around 31 years old, but we have nearly 20 terrestrial channels and several cable and satellite platforms.

With television, sometimes mockingly referred to as the ‘Idiot Box’ playing such a pivotal role in our lives, it was inevitable that television got its own ‘day’ in the calendar. The United Nations has declared November 21 as World Television Day and it has been celebrated since 1996.

In the words of the UN “Television has become one of the most influential forms of media in our present time. It is the arena where images, forms, styles and ideas surrounding the human existence are mobilised. Television makes its mark as the most popular medium for communication and information because of the considerable convenience it offers its audience worldwide, of all ages, nationalities and social status. Television does not require literacy and presents information in audiovisual form, requiring no extra skills for comprehension.”

No access

However, there was some opposition to the declaration of a World Television Day, from several countries. The German delegation said: “There are already three United Nations days encompassing similar subjects: World Press Freedom Day, World Telecom Day and World Development Information Day. To add another day does not make much sense... Television is only one means of information and an information medium to which a considerable majority of the world population has no access...

That vast majority could easily look at World Television Day as a rich man’s day. They do not have access to television. There are more important information media and here I would mention radio in particular. We think it is more important to enhance the role of those media than that of television.”

While there indeed are some noteworthy points in this argument, one cannot underestimate the power and influence of television.

There is hardly any country without a colour television service now. In any case, satellite television means that no corner of the world is truly immune from the effects of television.

It is the best way of reaching people - not even the ubiquitous cellular services and the Internet can beat television in this regard. It also beats radio hands down in one department - pictures. Television is an essential requirement for our lives and like most other things in life, there are two sides. There are channels and programs that enrich our knowledge. We can watch a channel such as Discovery or National Geographic for hours, because the programs are educational and entertaining. The 24-hour news channels bring the latest happenings in the world to our living rooms. If you are into music, there are many channels to choose from. The same goes for movies, fashion, sports, drama, religion and travel.

Crime, violence

But not everything on the ‘telly’ is good for you. The level of violence - shootings, murders, stabbings and explosions - seen on the small screen is simply incredible. There are even dedicated ‘crime’ channels. Some so-called ‘reality’ shows shown locally and overseas are in really bad taste and most local language teledramas leave a lot to be desired.

It is not possible to control these aspects of television in a free society, but viewers should be more selective about the programs they watch.

Advertising is another aspect of television that we have more or less accepted as a fact of life. Advertising enables most free-to-air stations to bring their programming to us free, but on the other hand, it has increased to the point that many programs are interrupted almost every 10 minutes.

There are also instances of questionable advertisements or advertisements in bad taste. A fine balance has to be struck between advertising and programming.

The social impact of television is another aspect. It keeps children off their studies, families gather round the telly at teledrama time without talking to each other, some children and adults get violent tendencies after watching certain programs, advertising lures many people to buy unnecessary and unhealthy products and it can also lead to a loss of productivity. Many studies have been conducted worldwide into the social impact of television - one recurring conclusion is that too much time in front of the television is not good for one’s health - mental and physical. Television is best ‘consumed’ in moderate quantities.

3D television

Programs may not change all that much, but television technology is changing at a swift pace. The traditional Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TVs have given way to Liquid Crystal Display and Plasma TVs. Newer technologies such as Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) TVs are on the way. The latest ‘in-thing’ is 3D TV, which one has to view using 3-D glasses. But major TV manufacturers are working on 3D TVs which will not require glasses.

Digital Transmission

On the transmission front, most countries have also switched to High Definition digital transmission on the Digital Video Broadcast (DVB) standard.

The Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation has already planned to install DVB transmitters and the private broadcasters too are likely to follow suit. The authorities should decide on a date for a digital switchover to pave the way for a smooth transition.

One thing is certain, though. Television will be an even more powerful medium in the years to come. More people will gain access to television as the hardware gets cheaper and the stations extend their reach. There are also indications that the Internet and television are increasingly converging.

Television is also reaching mobile devices - there are plenty of handsets which can access analog and digital TV stations. Television is worth celebrating - for it is a magical technology and an endless window to the outside world. The humble TV will remain king.