Transcript
BOB GARFIELD:
This is On the Media. I’m Bob Garfield with a few of your letters. In response to our coverage of broadcast TV’s imminent digital conversion, admitted Luddite James Lewis of Baltimore told us that all three of his antiquated TVs will need conversion boxes.
He wrote, quote, “What am I expected to do? I feel like I’m being forced unfairly into purchasing something that I have never needed. Not only that but the government who forced me into this dilemma only provides for two conversion boxes. Totally unfair!”
Listener Jim Diehl, on the other hand, enthused, quote, “I just got a digital converter box. Wow! I live in Vermont and received my TV signals through rabbit ears on top of my entertainment center. I felt pretty lucky that I got four stations, and with some antennae fiddling, I could see the pictures. Now I receive 12 stations with no fiddling.”
In response to our remembrance of William F. Buckley, Jr., who died last week, Michael James Hill of Milwaukee wrote, quote, “Your comment on WFB is very disappointing. To in any way associate Buckley’s work with the likes of Rush Limbaugh and his ilk is sad. Buckley engaged the liberals in debate and had a long record of showing them respect. Liberals should miss WFB and his intelligent challenges, and without your sarcasm.”
On a lighter note, Aaron Harvey of Los Angeles disputed our claim that The Smurfs was the first animated television show based on a toy. Quote, “The cartoon Hot Wheels originally aired September sixth 1969 to September fourth 1971 on ABC, and was based on the Hot Wheels cars of sponsor Mattel Toys.”
Thanks for your comments. Keep them coming to onthemedia.org or On the Media at wync.org, and please, tell us your first and last names and where you live.