Part # 1 New television network proposal What would a television network look like that is organized around principles of Radical Centrism? What follows is a 2 part presentation that provides ideas for programs throughout each broadcast day, 24/ 7. Some of these ideas are fleshed out but others simply are concept sketches that need further development later. As conceived here, standard network television format is assumed as normative; most viewers, by far, are familiar with this system and expect it. Thus there is no need to try and condition TV subscribers to any other system, it is familiar and it works reasonably well. Part #1 outlines News and Analysis offerings. This assumes a 30 minute national news show at the 5: 30 PM hour and other news programs at various times of day with a somewhat different schedule for the weekends. In a departure from format of the "Big 3" networks, but somewhat along the lines of PBS, it is assumed that an additional hour of network news programing following 6: 00 PM would have real value. The standard 5: 30 PM newscast is assumed to resemble that of the three major networks in appearance, again, for the sake of viewer familiarity. However, in my humble opinion, while NBC news has some redeeming qualities, it isn't all that much better than CBS or ABC, which, instead of hard news, telecast a combination of smoothed-over political news from a Democratic Party perspective, smoothed-over reporting about stories which have information value (Julian Asange is arrested), also from the perspective of the Democratic Party, and human interest (cute baby, cute puppy, unfortunate victim in a wheel chair) stories that are not news at all but sops to the brain dead. Basically what passes for news on network television is almost worthless. The concept here is for a hard news show at the 5: 30 hour with a news anchor that is mature, really knows his stuff, and has the potential to develop a "cult following" on the basis of his informed commentary and whatever it is that gives certain people an air of "authority." That is, it is crucial to find a news anchorman whom people feel they can trust, who has basic courage enough to report controversial topics without hiding from hard truths such as the fact that "terrorists" in a story are not generic bad guys but are militant Muslims who kill people in the name of Islam. It is possible that a woman anchor might be a best selection but in my experience it seems clear enough that in terms of viewer confidence and trust the best choice ordinarily is a man. If we could raise Walter Cronkite from the dead that would be an optimal recruit for the job. That would seem to be out of the question so this means someone with at least a few of Cronkite's qualities -and hopefully some new qualities that set him apart from anyone else. "News" traditionally means events that have visual "purchase." However, RTV News might just as well be about a bold new idea, the start of a social movement that needs some explanation, or a breakthrough in science or the realm of computers. Bad traffic accidents are news at ABC CBS and NBC; it would be going too far to say that traffic accidents never are news at RTV, but that is the idea. Give people news that they can use, that has intrinsic importance in their lives, and the more controversial the better. The old saying is that "if it bleeds it leads." The new saying is: "Unless it is controversial it goes to the bottom of the pile." ----- You will note emphasis on religion in some of the ideas presented in this proposal. What could be more controversial in our religious age, especially since, while I have the deepest respect for someone like Sam Harris, otherwise the idea is to go to war against the so-called "New Atheists" and delegitimate them as thoroughly as possible. Not by appeals to a literalistic reading of the Bible or by insisting that prayer solves all problems, but by means of hard-hitting scholarship that would be unwelcome on the Religious Right but that would be devastating to the (ir-)Religious Left. That is, people are interested in religion, give them all they want, even if what is said is not something they are used to. Just make it interesting, make it controversial, make it meaningful. About which no-one else in the media can possibly compete because, about religion, almost no journalists know what they are talking about. They wouldn't know what hit them. About "late night" shows usually telecast at 11: 30 PM, stand-up comedians in nearly all cases, I am in a quandary. There is no-one currently on television who has the kind of values that should be normative at RTV. These values are essential, they are the reason for RTV and for a proposed Bugle newspaper. For now all that can be said is that maybe the thing to do is take the time to cultivate someone who has the qualities needed to express RTV values and become the "next Johnny Carson." No idea who this might turn out to be but that is the objective. What follows is a menu of scores of ideas that can be developed in various ways and combined in various sequences. There are more ideas than a TV network can use in any given season or year. But taken together these concepts should make it clear that there is an altogether different way to organize and run a TV network than has ever been done before Yes, the idea also is to make money but to repeat what has been said previously, this is not about putting money ahead of values, the opposite is the case. The objective is serious investment in order to roll back most or all of the gains in American culture of the Left in the years since Reagan -NOT to promote the Right but to create an Independent alternative to Left and Right that is based on principles which are Christian in nature but very modern and very ecumenical. RTV should be independent of any religious organization but is intended to be supportive of the goal of launching a movement to be called the "New Christianity" which seeks a New Reformation of Christian faith that is consistent with a paper circulated on April 6, 2019, entitled "The Virtue of Nationalism, etc." It begins: ----- C-Span just broadcast a lecture by Israeli thinker Yoram Hazony during which he discussed his new book, The Virtue of Nationalism. Although the text is global in perspective a great deal of attention is given to the United States -as might be expected from someone who graduated from Princeton and studied at Rutgers. His English is flawless "American." Among the highlights of the talk: * Nations need cohesion to survive and this necessarily means, above all else, a common religious tradition to provide not only a common frame of reference but cherished traditions, a source of important virtues and values, and cultural pride. * Cohesion means "what holds society together," * Libertarianism is everywhere and is pulling American society apart with its every-man-for-himself ego-centered worldview and values. * The young are not waiting for anything and are moving in their own direction and will be lost for good unless there is a sea change in American culture. As things are now, a significant sector of the young who would ordinarily become 'good conservatives' are veering into White Identity Politics which, in Europe, means white nationalism. * American education is an unalloyed mess and conservatives are clueless about what to do about it. Hazony said that one essential remedy is to make study of the Bible a major part of US education. ----- It should be reasonably clear that this is not about anyone's established traditions. It is about creating a new culture in America, along with whatever it takes to demolish the political Left which I regard as the enemy of us all. The political Right can make of this what it will but probably not much because, of course, the Right is mostly stupid and uninformed. This is about making the best of the 40% of Americans who self-identify as political Independents. RTV, by design, is whole heartedly Independent. To appeal to Independents it is necessary to actually be independent. As a footnote, this also means war against libertarians, people who believe in ideas that are approximately 180 degrees the opposite of Radical Centrism. ______________________________________________ News and Analysis RTV Network Radical Television Network Religion News Today Stories about events in the world of religion that other TV networks habitually ignore because of their out-of-touch values and basic ignorance. Examples: Mainstream media war against Christianity Baptists try to turn tide against membership declines, some churches report successes America's Christian Heritage, promoting historic sites for tourism California Buddhism vs. 'orthodox' Buddhism, dilemma for Hollywood Rebirth of Zoroastrianism in Mid East Louis Farrakhan says that he is return of Jesus Mormons hemorrhage members in wake of new pro-homosexual policy Neo-Pagan influence in United States Assyrian Orthodoxy in America -new 2000 year old kid on the block Religion on the Web, what works, what doesn't. Islam Today As envisioned this show would be designed around the skills and ideas of Barry Sommer, who hosted a show with this exact title on CTV in Eugene, Oregon, for several years. This version of the show should have top level production values, have access to a significant film library on the subject, and seek to feature guests like Pamela Geller, Robert Spencer. Daniel Pipes, and Ibn Warraq Barry's show highlighted the many bizarre, criminal, unethical, malicious, and sadistic actions of Muslims in the United States and around the world; there always is plenty of material to work with. Interfaith Forum Discussions with experts and leaders from various religious groups seeking to find ways to co-operate for common good. Sometimes there might be informal debates about theological questions but the purpose of the show is to try and identify areas where interfaith co-operation has potential to change things for the better. New Christianity News News about the New Christianity, aka, the Church of Ishtar and El Shaddai, aka Church of Ishtar, aka, Ishtar Faith, aka, First Ecumenical Baptist Church of Ishtar and El Shaddai in Jesus' Holy Name, aka, Saint-Simonian Christianity, aka, Christian-Buddhism, aka, Ecumenical Religion, aka, New Reformation Christianity, and other similar vocabulary. Discussion of principles of New Christianity, new theology predicated on a female Holy Spirit, moral teachings, spiritual experience, social and cultural priorities, psychology of religion, historical background, related religious groups, personalities in the movement, new publications, new groups, controversies, etc. New Reformation News about the New Christianity, projects and progress, criticisms of New Christianity and replies to criticisms, discussions of theology, reports about local churches, etc. News About News Review of news coverage that points out the biases and distortions of news stories by the mainstream media and cable news services. From a Radical Centrist and political Independent perspective. Tricks the MSM uses to create the impression that they are objective when, clearly, they are not. Focus on some of the worst abuses on network TV. Think of this as a "Consumer Reports" of the news. News of the Future Focus on society and culture; demographic trends -how they effect politics, growing rejection of libertarianism among young people, changes in women's issues, low tech solutions to communications problems, new kinds of meet-ups, new laws to solve new problems, trends in environmental tourism, etc ------------------------------------------------ Markets Today News of the stock market, analysis of job numbers, policy decisions at the Fed, etc. plus several nightly features of value to people interested in investing. Examples: Start-Ups with good growth potential Critics of Wall Street Breaking news from Silicon Valley World Markets -China, Japan, India, Europe, Mid East, etc. Court Watch Important cases before the Supreme Court, or circuit courts, analyses of decisions, implications, dissenting opinions, recent voting record of selected Justices of the Supreme Court. Brains Trust Similar to shows like Special Report, Meet the Press, or Washington Week, etc., this news analysis show will broadcast only one short length (10 minute) interview with a newsmaker per program, but focus on a discussion format featuring something like 2 liberals and 2 conservatives, or possibly 1 liberal and 1 conservative and 1 Independent. It is largely pointless to listen to political celebrities discuss much of anything because their partisan views make objectivity nearly impossible, hence what they usually say is predictable and just about worthless except as an "on-the-record" statement about some specific position. This show is about serious objective news analysis. The ideal host, if he could be coaxed to take the job, would be Brit Hume. Radical Viewpoint Informed opinion from some of the best minds in the United States. Not necessarily Radical Centrists but people we can learn truths from. The concept is that these thinkers should have one hour per month shows although when this is not possible there would be guest hosts. These names are suggestive of the quality of the people who would be sought for the program: Mark Stein Judith Reisman David Horowitz Christina Hoff Sommers Victor Davis Hanson Bart Ehrman Jonathan Haidt John McWhorter Thomas Sowell Francis Fukuyama Chris Stierwalt ---------------------------------------------- Education Today Stories about innovations in public education, report cards on school systems around the country, new MOOCs, online education, bias in textbooks, new leaders at top universities, free speech quashed on college campuses, demographics in higher ed, etc. World of Books Weekly program that highlights new books, news about book fairs, interviews with authors, news of the publishing industry, innovations in libraries, best bookstores, e-books, etc. This is inspired by C-Span's "Book TV" feature but is intended to emphasize books that are consistent with the values and goals of the Radical Television Network Philosophy News for Americans News for intellectuals and students and the sophisticated. Folk philosophy in Appalachia. New courses in philosophy in universities. The best from philosophy blogs. News from philosophy associations. Philosophy clubs in America and around the world. Asian philosophy. Christian philosophy courses at Christian colleges. New look at Jewish philosophy. Philosophy in Silicon Valley. Eclectic specialized philosophies. New Pythagoreans. "Philosophy Plus" -hybrids of philosophy and literature, environmentalism, psychology, etc. Aesthetics in the Computer age. Business ethics programs at corporations, etc. Biography Today Dramatized biographies of people who Radical Centrists and Independents can learn from. Some shows will feature stories of people who deserve serious criticism. Depending on various factors, these one-hour programs may require 2 or 3 shows. Examples: HL Mencken Claire Boothe Luce Cicero Reinhold Niebuhr George Gershwin Sojourner Truth Louis L' Amour Walt Disney Victoria Woodhull Nora Ephron Carl Sagan Steve Jobs Francis Schaefer Amee Semple McPherson Lewis Carroll James K. Polk Dr. Charles Socarides Don West John Quincy Adams Alan Watts Isaac Asimov ------------------------------- Spark Tank Inspired by "Shark Tank" but with a different approach. The objective is not (or not per se) to start a commercial business but to organize a business that has social values consistent with those of "West Coast" Radical Centrism and consistent with the values of those religions identified as parts of a "Family of Faiths" consisting of virtually all forms of Christian orthodoxy, with normative Buddhism, with Confucianism, with Shinto, with Taoism, with normative Hinduism, with traditional Judaism, and so forth including Zoroastrianism and the Baha'i Faith. What this is about is identifying start-ups in such fields as publishing, new kinds of education, innovative think tanks, community television, online discussion groups, consulting services, and so forth. As start-ups with some kind of business model they should have a viable means to earn money, to be self-sustaining, and to do such things as offering products and services that generate revenue. Writer's Workshop As envisioned, this show would feature Jenna Moreci discussing the best ways to be a successful writer in various genres. These would be full-fledged lessons that might otherwise cost a lot of money, but which would be offered via RTV for no cost except a small number of "fee services" such as use of advertising products, cover design work, and professional advice for setting up an online business. If feasible, another fee service would be connecting writers with talent and who have serious potential, with a literary agent. If Jenna Moreci is not available someone with an approximation of her range of skills and something like her sense of humor should be sought for. The objective is to help as many people as possible become skilled writers able to communicate the ideas and values which RTV stands for. Planet News News stories from the realm of geofiction, micronations, utopias, imaginary worlds, science fiction civilizations, ETs of various stripes, fictional cities on Mars, etc. --------------------------------------------- Women's Perspective Interviews with special women; their current projects, insights in areas of expertise, biographical information, life stories, etc. News for Mothers with Young Children Best new products, mothers who mix child raising with at-home income earning, healthy foods for toddlers, new baby clothes ideas, recommended YouTube videos, best vacation destinations for parents with young kids, home medical care for kids, etc. -------------------------------------------- Morning News Actual news for people with actual brains, viz, the opposite of what you see on the major TV networks each morning. Still, there should be a "lighter touch" in the AM hours, this seems to work well at that time of day. Some humor, a little "human interest" material, offbeat news stories now and then. Regardless, much less of such things than is broadcast on the major networks, nearly all of which I personally regard as having marginal value -and some of which is meaningless. ------------------------------------------ Christian Store Similar to QVC or HSN but focused on religion-theme products such as scriptures and other books, T-shirts, flags and banners, family altar items, music CDs and videos, decorative crosses and other symbols, movies, Saint-Simon inspired clothing including French design women's wear, Christmas decorations, Easter decorations, calendars, Mesopotamian arts, Asian arts, African arts, etc., backpacks, and so forth. Subscription: * Access to Gargoyle search engine: No spam, privacy protected, all cookies blocked, all malware & viruses blocked, all entries that come up on the system are "human evaluated" for quality, security, reliability, and healthy values. * Access to special interest publication aggregates for Religion, Philosophy, Psychology, Futuristics (emphasis on behavioral science findings), History of Ideas, Marketing, Balanced Economics (not laissez faire, not Keynesian), etc., similar to lists provided at Real Clear Politics but human-selected and more comprehensive. * Access to "reprints" of classic articles in various fields such as History, Mars & Astronomy, Evolution and Sociobiology, Lifestyles, and Intelligence ( viz, CIA, FBI, Mossad, etc.). Reprints of important news stories from the past, and so forth. * Access to RTV social media system, aka, Switchboard. Similar to Facebook, Switchboard (aka SB) should feature superior and customizable format making use of Times New Roman fonts for all text, select-you-own spot graphics, and various special effects. No cookies, no spam, no nonsense, just the opportunity to exchange ideas with other people who subscribe to RTV or to the Bugle newspaper. Setting up your own SB site should be made as easy as possible, no complicated instructions, all "construction" as intuitive as can be made. -- -- Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community <[email protected]> Google Group: http://groups.google.com/group/RadicalCentrism Radical Centrism website and blog: http://RadicalCentrism.org --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Centroids: The Center of the Radical Centrist Community" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
