Centennials Table Topics

Table Topic questions are meant to stimulate family and classroom discussion. Use the questions below after reading,"TV's magical early days"

Television has been a part of our lives for 50 years. How has it changed your personal life? American culture? World culture? Are there any conflicts or rules around family viewing? Do you watch some shows together? Think how your life would be different without TV. Would you consider doing without?
An inexperienced Dorothy Bullitt demonstrated considerable vision with the purchase and development of KRSC into influential KING-TV. Do you think it was unusual for a businesswoman of the time to be so innovative? The other two local TV stations sprang from existing radio stations. If radio did not exist, could television have happened? How does existing media deal with new media? Check out the expanding Seattle Times web site at http://www.SeattleTimes.com. How do the web site and newspaper support each other?
During the child-centered '50s, locally-produced kid shows were the hottest things on the tube, each with its own distinct personality. Ask an adult who grew up then in the Northwest which show was their favorite and why. Can they still sing the theme song? If you didn't grow up here, did you have similar shows or TV experiences? Was this the beginning of a shared youth culture? What TV shows today have the same impact on young people? What kinds of local shows are produced today?
Television emerged slowly in public consciousness and then exploded. How does this compare with the development of new media like computers and Internet? At first, the FCC restricted access to station licensing to control growth. Today, there are controversies about Internet content and competition of the browser market. Are we in a similar shakedown period concerning rules and procedures? Look into the future and speculate about our next communication technology.
How has television changed with the addition of public-funded TV, public-access TV, cable and satellite viewing? How does this affect patterns of power and influence? Television has brought our nation together as never before to share experiences of tragedy and triumph. How will our common culture be affected by the more diffuse nature of the information revolution?
Print media had no choice but to adjust to electronic media, just like radio before it. Why would a '50s Seattle Times editor ban television from the newsroom? How do newspapers cover television today and what's the relationship between the two? Some think TV has affected the presentation and style of print media. Has print had any impact on TV in return? How will people get their news 50 years from now?