General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTo encourage people staying at home for Christmas: A 4-day television special?
A stay-at-home special of X-number of hours/day from 23 Dec. to the 26th with singers, comedians, actors, songs and skits &c. on all major stations.
N_E_1 for Tennis
(9,661 posts)And maybe a tip jar to help some charities caring for less fortunate peoples.
brooklynite
(94,302 posts)mwooldri
(10,299 posts)Also a long history. Jerry Lewis telethon had a long history but had coverage issues as the "program" itself was syndicated and not backed by any of the Big Three/Four broadcast networks. In the UK the BBC's Children in Need telethons are still going because they have coverage on the main channel plus spillover coverage on other BBC TV and radio networks - and BBC channels still get 1/3 to 1/2 of all viewers in the UK. When the ITV telethons happened it was in an era of three/four channel TV and even the BBC gave plenty of plugs to their fundraising efforts.
In other words it was in your face, you couldn't ignore it. Easy to do in four channel land. Not easy today as there's way over 57 channels and nothing on...
In today's media world one would have to have all the "Big Four" (CBS, ABC, NBC, Fox) participating plus involve their sister channels plus social media involvement at the company level (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc) plus other prominent online outlets and streaming services. Even then, one could flip over and watch sports - the kind of thing that didn't help the Jerry Lewis telethon at all. Which means - live sporting events would have to be involved in any new telethon.
In other words, this is a big ask. I don't know if it can be done.
brooklynite
(94,302 posts)If you intend to keep the entire country indoors for four days (you're already starting behind the 8-ball; think of how many people HERE will happily say they've "cut the cord" you would be programming that would appeal to everyone from millennials to retirees, and urban Blacks to rural Hispanics.
Hugin
(33,032 posts)I even contributed to his cause a few times.
It was very much as you say, though. There was little choice as my folks were too cheap to buy cable.
Yes, for such a thing to be successful in modern times. It would have to be a wide scale multi-media campaign.
Jirel
(2,013 posts)What a way to torque off anyone whos an atheist, Jew, Muslim, Hindu, etc. or just plain under retirement age. Sure, lets preempt their favorite shows for forced religious-based holiday cheer. Youll have record numbers tuning out in favor of recorded/pirated shows, video games, and leaving home to do something more interesting than the equivalent of watching a Jerry Lewis telethon that died for good reason. Its not like there is any shortage of Xmas pap already on that day, or available in peoples own collections.
Hugin
(33,032 posts)Say, viewers call in every hour for a chance to win some big prize.
Heck, if they gave away a month's supply of diapers, you might get the Tangeranus himself calling in to compete.
3Hotdogs
(12,319 posts)I'm in.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)underpants
(182,585 posts)Tanuki
(14,914 posts)JI7
(89,239 posts)they want . I wouldn't watch it and I'm not going anywhere .
underpants
(182,585 posts)All day long?
Buns_of_Fire
(17,148 posts)and Merriment, the man who put the 'holy' back in 'holy shit!', the Winner of TWO Noble Prizes, the Man Who Shagged Stormy Daniels, the man who put the FUN back in FUNeral, Your Favorite President and Mine, DONallllllllllllllllllld TRUMP!!!..."
Might need some work. I'll get Mark Burnett on it.
Jirel
(2,013 posts)under 65. Variety shows and telethons are things of the past for a reason. I and a lot of friends would shoot the TV before watching something like that.
PoindexterOglethorpe
(25,811 posts)Most people already spend many hours watching TV, whether in their own home or visiting someone.
While this kind of four day special is an interesting idea, the major networks won't even consider that, and it wouldn't keep anyone home who is otherwise planning to go somewhere.
I suppose descending on everyone's home and locking them in for those four days might help a little, but once the locks come off the idiots will still do what they want. And then be very, very surprised when someone in their group gets sick, and grandma dies after three weeks on a respirator.