Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, June 13, 1995 TAG: 9506130097
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE HUDSON
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Eric Newman can't imagine not having a television. So he was a bit taken back when the Roanoke Times & World-News ran a notice asking for interviews with people who don't watch TV.
Newman wondered why the newspaper would bother to highlight "that minority of local Luddites who eschew the ownership of this century's most viable and flexible information and entertainment tool."
He left a somewhat tongue-in-cheek voice-mail message speculating that the paper was doing the story "simply to make those of you in the last great days of your overpriced, resource-wasting fish wrapper feel better about yourselves."
Later, in a telephone interview, Newman apologized for coming on strong over voice-mail. It's just that TV is such a part of his life: He's operations coordinator at WSLS-TV in Roanoke, so people who don't watch television is a "hot button" issue for him. But he holds no grudges against non-viewers. With so few, he said, "they're not going to put me out of business."
As for himself, Newman doesn't understand people who characterize television as "some sort of Godless" force in society. But he concedes that with so many channels and so many shows, TV "certainly shows a lot of things that I don't care to be exposed to. ... The potential is there to let yourself go. It's very passive. TV doesn't require anything but your attention."
But, he says, it's simply a matter of exercising discipline and choosing the shows that best entertain and inform. He estimated that he watches 6 to 8 hours a night, and has it on at the office or at home a total of 16 to 18 hours a day.
"I'll have it on whether I'm paying attention to it or not. If I'm in the room, it's on."
It was on, he said during the phone interview, "as I sit here talking to you."
Mr. Hudson:
No, I have not declared my home a television-free zone and no, I am not going to throw my television in the dump heap. I would never get rid of my TV set. I'm a fan of practical joker characters on TV shows and I enjoy watching Wally Plumstead (played by actor SKIP YOUNG) play practical jokes on David and Ricky Nelson on "OZZIE AND HARRIET" AND Richie's friend BAG ZOMBROSKI (NEIL J. SCHWARTZ) play jokes on Richie, Potsie, and Ralph on "HAPPY DAYS." I've also gotten a lot of laughs watching Eddie Haskel (Ken Osmond) and Lumpy Rutherford (Frank Bank) trick Wally (Tony Dow) into delivering ICE CREAM to Mary Ellen Rogers' (Pamela Baird) house on "Leave It to Beaver." When Wally arrived at the house, Mary Ellen's father chased him away. Also, if I didn't have a TV set I wouldn't be able to watch the old COMEDY movies of EDDIE CANTOR on American Movie Classics. ... There are too many good TV shows out there. If I see a TV show or movie I don't like then I change the channel.
Sincerely,
DON CAMPBELL
P.S. I would never quit watching "Gilligan's Island" AND "GOMER PYLE, USMC" because I'M A FAN OF MARY ANN SUMMERS (DAWN WELLS) AND LOU ANN POOVIE (ELIZABETH MACRAE).
by CNB