INPUT / … / … / Hard Core Public TV

Public TV is entertaining, inforrnative, diversified... At least it tries to be. Public TV is also under pressure to compete with commercial TV. Basic truth, right? But some of us still remember the origin of the concept, the initial purpose of public television. And the struggle to link quality and financing makes it harder and harder. There are different mandates for each of us but the heartland of public broadcasting remains its social definition: to link facts, minds and, if possible, hearts to a social fabric, to witness social evolution. Hold on! Witness only? The power of the medium makes it such that once a broadcasting decision is made, the impact can be unquestionable. ln the last decade, worldwide events have linked the entire planet and made a difference. Can we do it on our own national territory, on a day-to-day basis? Some of us gave it a try, remembering that television must not only report but also create the debate, as unpleasant as it may be. And that television has this unique --if terrible-- power: it can change the minds of people not only buying products but also for ideas and changes.