BEFORE you plunk down $354, or more, for a gaudy television receiver, or turn the family savings over to a television stock salesman, heed a friendly word of caution: DON'T! Much to the embarrassment of sincere engineers and corporations responsible for what growth television has had, there is every indication that an unscrupulous few will attempt to turn this scientific curiosity into a suckers' game.

And so begins an article in the February 1939 issue of Popular Mechanics. Lots of fun... read the full article here:

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/special/television/television01.htm

Which was published on the American Widescreen Museum website. If you've never browsed that site then have a look. Definitely one of my favorite websites!

http://www.widescreenmuseum.com/index.htm

Hey Boyd. They won. Suckers game is a bit off but hey, we got reality television shows... that's what it became.

See the Clooney film about Murrow yet? Very well done I thought.

Also, for the few youngsters out there about to embark on potential careers either in front of or behind a camera, do yourselves a favor and see at least these 2 films before you sign up for your first Journalism classes at College.

See "Network" - NOT "Broadcast News", "Network" with William Holden. If you think at the end that will never happen, think about this for a second. At the NBC station I worked at for over 16 years, the news director back in the mid 90s had a person drive from Cleveland once a week to give out astrological predictions IN THE NEWS SHOW! Now watch "Network" again.

See also the new Clooney film on Edward R. Murrow. Then try to figure out if your tough enough to do the right thing.

I could go on and on. Just ask Boyd.

Lessons over. Everyone off to bed.

Sean McHenry