'The Idiot Box'

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

“You've got to pay more attention to not only the bottom line, but to public service." - Newton N. Minow, Executive and Former FCC Chairman

Interviewees discuss the notion of television as lacking educational value or redeeming qualities.

Highlights

Former FCC Chairman Newton Minow on what he was trying to convey in his 1961 "Vast Wasteland" speech

02:21

Charlie Andrews on the decline in the quality of television from the 1950s to the 1960s

05:41

Norman Felton on the need for media literacy

06:18

Howard Rosenberg on television at its worst

02:48

Fred Silverman on the reaction of television critics to ABC programs The Love Boat and Fantasy Island

02:00

Who talked about this topic

Charlie Andrews

Charlie Andrews on the decline in the quality of television from the 1950s to the 1960s

05:41

Norman Felton

Norman Felton on the need for media literacy

06:18

Louise Lasser

Louise Lasser on the second season of Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, and on the show's critique of television

02:06

Jim McKay

Jim McKay on the challenge for TV to fill thousands of hours with quality programming

00:35

Nolan Miller

Nolan Miller on working on negative critical reaction to Charlie's Angels and on it being dubbed "jiggle TV"

04:46

Thomas W. Moore

Thomas W. Moore on Newton N. Minow's "vast wasteland" speech, critical of television

05:06

Sterling Quinlan

Sterling "Red" Quinlan on Newton N. Minow's comment, "television is a vast wasteland"

03:43

Howard Rosenberg

Howard Rosenberg on television at its worst

02:48

Lauren Zalaznick

Lauren Zalaznick on television and society, and how television tends to reflect the national psyche (the topic of her 2011 TED Talk)

10:35

All Topics