>>139032040 (pb)
some of Rik Mayall's final words
Right up until the introduction of the internet, people were very naive; even to the point of ignorance. The masses were like sheep waiting to be led by the few in power. They did not challenge authority. If the news was in print or on the radio, they believed it had to be true. They told their children and their children grew up to be the parents of the baby-boomers.
Interestingly, Rosemond began questioning the role of TV after his own son began displaying symptoms of ADHD. In response he got rid of his television and within six weeks the boy's behaviour was transformed. Today he is a commercial airline pilot, a job which requires some concentration.
Still, there may well be a place for television in modern society: in our prisons. At a time when its budget is being cut by over 15% you may ask why the prisons service is spending an estimated £5 million on television sets for a third of its inmates. Why? Well, according to David Roddan, general secretary of the prison governors association: "It's the best control mechanism you can think of."