浙江省诸暨市草塔中学高中英语 Unit 4 Making the new.docx
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浙江省诸暨市草塔中学高中英语Unit4Makingthenew
浙江省诸暨市草塔中学高中英语Unit4MakingthenewsNewtonN.Minow:
TelevisionandthePublicInterest素材新人教版必修5
Thankyouforthisopportunitytomeetwithyoutoday.ThisismyfirstpublicaddresssinceItookovermynewjob.WhentheNewFrontiersmenrodeintotown,Ilockedmyselfinmyofficetodomyhomeworkandgetmyfeetwet.ButapparentlyIhaven'tmanagedtostayoutofhotwater.IseemtohavedetectedacertainnervousapprehensionaboutwhatImightsayordowhenIemergedfromthatlockedofficeforthis,mymaidenstationbreak.
First,letmebeginbydispellingarumor.IwasnotpickedforthisjobbecauseIregardmyselfasthefastestdrawontheNewFrontier.Second,letmestartarumor.Likeyou,IhavecarefullyreadPresidentKennedy'smessagesabouttheregulatoryagencies,conflictofinterest,andthedangersofexpartecontacts.And,ofcourse,weattheFederalCommunicationsCommissionwilldoourpart.Indeed,ImayevensuggestthatwechangethenameoftheFCCtoTheSevenUntouchables!
Itmayalsocomeasasurprisetosomeofyou,butIwantyoutoknowthatyouhavemyadmirationandrespect.Yoursisamosthonorableprofession.Anyonewhoisinthebroadcastingbusinesshasatoughrowtohoe.Youearnyourbreadbyusingpublicproperty.Whenyouworkinbroadcastingyouvolunteerforpublicservice,publicpressure,andpublicregulation.Youmustcompetewithotherattractionsandotherinvestments,andtheonlywayyoucandoitistoprovetouseverythreeyearsthatyoushouldhavebeeninbusinessinthefirs
tplace.
Icanthink
ofeasierwaystomakealiving.
ButIcannotthinkofmoresatisfyingways.
Iadmireyourcourage--butthatdoesn'tmeanIwouldmakelifeanyeasierforyou.
Yourlicenseletsyouusethepublic'sairwavesastrusteesfor180millionAmericans.Thepublicisyourbeneficiary.Ifyouwanttostayonastrustees,youmustdeliveradecentreturntothepublic--notonlytoyourstockholders.So,asarepresentativeofthepublic,yourhealthandyourproductareamongmychiefconcerns.
Astoyourhealth:
let'stalkonlyoftelevisiontoday.1960grossbroadcastrevenuesofthetelevisionindustrywereover$1,268,000,000;profitbeforetaxeswas$243,900,000,anaveragereturnonrevenueof19.2percent.Comparedwith1959,grossbroadcastrevenueswere$1,163,900,000,andprofitbeforetaxeswas$222,300,000,anaveragereturnonrevenueof19.1percent.So,thepercentageincreaseoftotalrevenuesfrom1959to1960was9percent,andthepercentageincreaseofprofitwas9.7percent.This,despitearecession.Foryourinvestors,thepricehasindeedbeenright.
Ihaveconfidenceinyourhealth.
Butnotinyourproduct.
ItiswiththisandmuchmoreinmindthatIcomebeforeyoutoday.
Oneeditorialistinthetradepresswrotethat"theFCCoftheNewFrontierisgoingtobeoneofthetoughestFCC'sinthehistoryofbroadcastregulation."Ifhemeantthatweintendtoenforcethelawinthepublicinterest,letmemakeitperfectlyclearthatheisright--wedo.Ifhemeantthatweintendtomuzzleorcensorbroadcasting,heisdeadwrong.Itwouldnotsurprisemeifsomeofyouhadexpectedmetocomeheretodayandsayineffect,"Cleanupyourownhouseorthegovernmentwilldoitforyou."Well,inalimitedsense,youwouldberight--I'vejustsaidit.
ButIwanttosaytoyouearnestlythatitisnotinthatspiritthatIcomebeforeyoutoday,norisitinthatspiritthatIintendtoservetheFCC.IaminWashingtontohelpbroadcasting,nottoharmit;tostrengthenit,notweakenit;torewardit,notpunishit;toencourageit,notthreatenit;tostimulateit,notcensorit.Aboveall,Iamheretoupholdandprotectthepublicinterest.
Whatdowemeanby"thepublicinterest?
"
Somesaythepublicinterestismerelywhatintereststhepublic.Idisagree.Sodoesyourdistinguishedpresident,GovernorCollins.Inarecentspeechhesaid,
Broadcastingtoservethepublicinterest,musthaveasoulandaconscience,aburningdesiretoexcel,aswellastosell;theurgetobuildthecharacter,citizenshipandintellectualstatureofpeople,aswellastoexpandthegrossnationalproduct....BynomeansdoIimplythatbroadcastersdisregardthepublicinterest....Butamuchbetterjobcanbedone,andshouldbedone.
Icouldnotagreemore.
AndIwouldaddthatintoday'sworld,withchaosinLaosandtheCongoaflame,withCommunisttyrannyonourCaribbeandoorstepandrelentlesspressureonourAtlanticalliance,withsocialandeconomicproblemsathomeofthegravestnature,yes,andwithtechnologicalknowledgethatmakesitpossible,asourPresidenthassaid,notonlytodestroyourworldbuttodestroypovertyaroundtheworld--inatimeofperilandopportunity,theoldcomplacent,unbalancedfareofaction-adventureandsituationcomediesissimplynotgoodenough.
YourindustrypossessesthemostpowerfulvoiceinAmerica.Ithasaninescapabledutytomakethatvoiceringwithintelligenceandwithleadership.Inafewyears,thisexcitingindustryhasgrownfromanoveltytoaninstrumentofoverwhelmingimpactontheAmericanpeople.Itshouldbemakingreadyforthekindofleadershipthatnewspapersandmagazinesassumedyearsago,tomakeourpeopleawareoftheirworld.
Ourshasbeencalledthejetage,theatomicage,thespaceage.Itisalso,Isubmit,thetelevisionage.Andjustashistorywilldecidewhethertheleadersoftoday'sworldemployedtheatomtodestroytheworldorrebuilditformankind'sbenefit,sowillhistorydecidewhethertoday'sbroadcastersemployedtheirpowerfulvoicetoenrichthepeopleordebasethem.
IfIseemtodaytoaddressmyselfchieflytotheproblemsoftelevision,Idon'twantanyofyouradiobroadcasterstothinkwe'vegonetosleepatyourswitch--wehaven't.Westilllisten.Butinrecentyearsmostofthecontroversiesandcross-currentsinbroadcastprogramminghaveswirledaroundtelevision.Andsomysubjecttodayisthetelevisionindustryandthepublicinterest.
Likeeverybody,Iwearmorethanonehat.IamthechairmanoftheFCC.Iamalsoatelevisionviewerandthehusbandandfatherofothertelevisionviewers.IhaveseenagreatmanytelevisionprogramsthatseemedtomeeminentlyworthwhileandIamnottalkingaboutthemuchbemoanedgoodolddaysof"Playhouse90"and"StudioOne."
Iamtalkingaboutthispastseason.Somewerewonderfullyentertaining,suchas"TheFabulousFifties,""TheFredAstaireShow,"and"TheBingCrosbySpecial";someweredramaticandmoving,suchasConrad's"Victory"and"TwilightZone";someweremarvelouslyinformative,suchas"TheNation'sFuture,""CBSReports,"and"TheValiantYears."Icouldlistmanymore--programsthatIamsureeveryoneherefeltenrichedhisownlifeandthatofhisfamily.Whentelevisionisgood,noth
ing--notthetheater,notthemagazinesornewspapers--nothingisbetter.
Butwhentelevisionisbad,nothingisworse.Iinviteyoutositdowninfrontofyourtelevisionsetwhenyourstationgoesontheairandstaytherewithoutabook,magazine,newspaper,profitandlosssheetorratingbooktodistractyou--andkeepyoureyesgluedtothatsetuntilthestationsignsoff.Icanassureyouthatyouwillobserveavastwasteland.
Youwillseeaprocessionofgameshows,violence,audienceparticipationshows,formulacomediesabouttotallyunbelievablefamilies,bloodandthunder,mayhem,violence,sadism,murder,westernbadmen,westerngoodmen,privateeyes,gangsters,moreviolence,andcartoons.And,endlessly,commercials--manyscreaming,cajoling,andoffending.Andmostofall,boredom.True,youwillseeafewthingsyouwillenjoy.Buttheywillbevery,veryfew.AndifyouthinkIexaggerate,tryit.
Isthereonepersoninthisroomwhoclaimsthatbroadcastingcan'tdobetter?
Well,aglanceatnextseason'sproposedprogrammingcangiveuslittleheart.Of73and1/2hoursofprimeeveningtime,thenetworkshavetentativelyscheduled59hourstocategoriesofaction-adventure,situationcomedy,variety,quiz,andmovies.
Isthereonenetworkpresidentinthisroomwhoclaimshecan'tdobetter?
Well,isthereatleastonenetworkpresidentwhobelievesthattheothernetworkscan'tdobetter?
Gentlemen,yourtrustaccountingwithyourbeneficiariesisoverdue.
Neverhavesofewowedsomuchtosomany.
Whyissomuchoftelevisionsobad?
Ihaveheardmanyanswers:
demandsofyouradvertisers;competitionforeverhigherratings;theneedalwaystoattractamassaudience;thehighcostoftelevisionprograms;theinsatiableappetiteforprogrammingmaterial--thesearesomeofthem.Unquestionably,thesearetoughproblemsnotsusceptibletoeasyanswers.
ButIamnotconvincedthatyouhavetriedhardenoughtosolvethem.
Idonotaccepttheideathatthepresentover-allprogrammingisaimedaccuratelyatthepublictaste.Theratingstellusonlythatsomepeoplehavetheirtelevisionsetsturnedonandofthatnumber,somanyaretunedtoonechannelandsomanytoanother.Theydon'ttelluswhatthepublicmightwatchiftheywereofferedhalf-a-dozenadditionalchoices.Arating,atbest,isanindicationofhowmanypeoplesawwhatyougavethem.Unfortunately,itdoesnotrevealthedepthofthepenetration,ortheintensityofreaction,anditneverrevealswhattheacceptancewouldhavebeenifwhatyougavethemhadbeenbetter--ifalltheforcesofartandcreativityanddaringandimaginationhadbeenunleashed.Ibelieveinthepeople'sgoodsenseandgoodtaste,andIamnotconvincedthatthepeople's
tasteisaslowassomeofyouassume.
Myconcernwiththeratingservicesisnotwiththeiraccuracy.Perhapstheyareaccurate.Ire