Barbara J. Hamby

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Daytime Television

It occurs to me to wonder why shows such as Dr. Phil and Oprah are aired in mid-afternoon, when working parents, especially single mothers, are not around to watch. When I watch those shows (not every day), I often think of people I know who ought to see whatever is going on that day. None of those people are home in the afternoons. They’re out making a living.

Learning how to raise children, or face menopause, etc. is a little late for those of us who are retired and are at home. We could pass the information on to our offspring, but they didn’t listen to us when they were growing up, why would they start now?

Some of the subject matter is not suitable for minors and I wonder about latch key kids who are home alone and will respond to disclaimer messages advising that the program may not be suitable for children, by gluing themselves to the screen. Soap operas are bad enough.

I don’t know anything about TIVO and very little about using a VCR, but I suppose people who are interested in the shows could record them to watch later, if they could find the time to do so. When I was a single mother, working full time, I didn’t have much spare time for watching television.

Whatever audience those shows are searching for, they must be satisfied with the results. They seem to have plenty of sponsors.