Let’s drag the viewer off the couch!
Is there any room for more ambitious programs on local television? Is it capable of motivating people to act? This what participants at Monday’s “The media in local communities” session discussed. “Local stations are close to the people and their everyday lives, you could even say that people identify themselves with their cable TV.“ said Ewa Michalska, who has been dealing with regional and local televisions for years. Sometimes there are opinions that programs that appear on such local channels raise trivial problems compared to the big TV stations. “Yet, what’s worth asking is whether trivial means less important. Sometimes people really don’t know who to turn to and television helps them solve the problem. It’s our duty.” states Magdalena Hejda from TVP Krakow. She presented to the guests fragments of the program “Mutts and Alley Cats” around which she managed to form a community. In every episode, the issue of homeless animals is raised. Volunteers help find them new homes. “Local TV is not supposed to just entertain, broadcast movies, or commercials, but it has a mission to carry out. “ said Barbara Pawlak from TVP Rzeszow, who runs the program “Questions to…” and is provided topics by viewers who come forward with their problems.” We’ve talked about the lack of organ donors for transplants in our district; we often stir up a hornets’ nest. We don’t ease up until the issue is resolved.” says Barbara Pawlak. “The viewers have to believe the program is credible. Local television is close to them, a reporter should be more than just “the man from TV,” who keeps his distance from the people” convinced .Dr Jadwiga Glowa, a film connoisseur from Jagiellonian University.
