I never record television programming.  And now, I watch PBS exclusively. 

My television is not digital, therefore I use a converter box, which pulls in three PBS stations.  PBS is my source for  evening news - NEWS HOUR WITH JIM LEHRER, prime time entertainment such as MASTERPIECE THEATRE, NOVA, FRONTLINE, AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, ANTIQUES ROADSHOW, late night BBC NEWS, and late night talk, CHARLIE ROSE. Occasionally, I’ll watch LETTERMAN on network television instead of TAVIS SMILEY [whomever has the best guests], but I usually I switch to CHARLIE ROSE, which airs at 11 pm CST.

I gave up cable about a year ago because it was a waste of money.

I just gave up on the last network show I watched. Morning show, but even if I mentally blocked out the commercials, the show itself was destroying my brain with nonsense.

Otherwise, I depend on Charlie Rose, Jim Lehrer and occasional dramas like "Waking The Dead". What would life be without public television.

And to think that in the JFK administration, light years ago, a member of his cabinet called tv "a vast wasteland".

Come to think of it, people do seem to becoming less wise - less questioning. Whatever happened to good conversation?    

Elinor 

The other night my visiting, young, grandchildren were cuddled up in my bed watching the Yankee game when the commercial came on the screen.  My granddaughters wanted to change the channel… but my grandson wanted to watch the commercial. In fact, he announce , "I LOVE  the commercials." The girls looked to me for a decision, and I had to side with my granddson. I love commercials, too.

Some of them are awful; but some of them are very creative, very clever, informative, and often, very funny . But that’s only part of why I watch them.Someone spent time and energy, and maybe even worked with integrity and high hopes. Someone got up every morning, put on shoes and socks, along with all the other necessaries, and went to WORK … and I am in awe of anyone who does that.

To skip through the commercial without giving it a chance to be heard, is sort of like telling someone to "shut up" before we even have a chance to hear what someone has to say. It’s rude. In all honesty, I don’t know I ever even purchase anything I ever see advertised for sale on the strength of the ad itself; but I might think about it.

We do not get any TV reception anymore thanks to the "better for you" govt.

The convertor boxes do not work in fringe areas and we do not have an outside aerial yet. Cable i$ out of the que$tion. I do miss NCIS and The Mentalist and Judge Joe. Luckily we just received 100 VHS tapes!

It is better if I do not think about the programs I liked

I work second shift, so I’m never home to watch live tv. sometimes I catch a few minutes of whatever my mother’s watching as I pass through the living room on my way out the door. Everything my husband and I watch is recorded on the tivo or rented through netflix. My husband has some favorite networks that he’ll put on while he’s cooking, but everything else has to wait until 10:30 when we’re settled in after I get home from work.