Leadership Solutions: Back to the Past

Many years ago, in the early days of television, there existed a strange type of programing.

It was the test pattern. They looked like this:

See more samples at:

http://www.videouniversity.com/articles/tv-test-patterns

Caution: staring at a TV test pattern may become habit forming.

TV networks would broadcast a test pattern because they didn't have enough programs to fill the day. (That's still true today, but the test patterns are now called reruns.)

Amazingly, people would spend time watching these test patterns. Really, they did.

Perhaps they were practicing for the more advanced forms of zero-content programing that appears today.

Now, before you laugh, recognize that the old test pattern had important advantages over most of the programs currently shown on TV. These include:

1) No one lost sleep having nightmares after watching a test pattern.

2) Children didn't learn how to insult their parents from watching test patterns.

3) All test patterns provided fair and balanced portrayals of nothing.

4) The dialogue (i.e., none) was more mature than shown in adult cartoons.

5) Test patterns were shown without commercials.

Key Point: You'd be better off watching a test pattern than most of the stuff that's shown on TV.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Comments

[Dave]

Great points on the content of programs today on TV. I think news 'filler' is even more of a problem than reruns. As you point out, the absence content is the best thing to have on. Read a book and/or go for a walk.

Great blog! Thanks!

[bryan]

Good idea, getting as much TV out of the way and spending that time attending to responsibilities or even pleasures. TV is a passive brain activity, no interaction. Looking at ocean waves or birds and clouds in the sky is more mentally stimulating. Talking with people who are and will be there tomorrow is a better foundation than tv can give.