Turn off the television

Sex, violence, and profanity on television. It was there for anyone to see. Don Wildmon – and everyone else – had simply chosen to ignore it … but not anymore. Don was fed up. He wasn’t sure what to do, but he was done looking the other way.

On that December evening in 1976, sitting in front of the television, the Methodist minister faced a moment of reckoning. (See The Stand, 5/25.) He wondered what images his children had seen on TV. What attitudes toward sex, violence, and profanity were being promoted? He questioned how society’s values were being shaped by network television. Whatever the answers to these questions, Don knew it would be good for the souls of Christians to take a step back from their TV sets.

The cold, hard numbers

Despite his convictions, Don also knew what he needed to communicate would be unpopular. He realized that some – perhaps many – in his congregation would resist the message. Anticipating this reaction, he went to the local library to see if he could flesh out his concerns in greater detail.

He learned that many social scientists had been discussing the content of television, particularly psychologists who were concerned about the impact of TV violence on children. Various studies on this topic had been conducted, and articles had been published in outlets like Newsweek, Ladies’ Home Journal, and academic journals. Even the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General had released a report on the issue in 1974. Despite this, TV networks had also funded studies to undermine any criticism they faced.

There was an abundance of material for review, and it was shocking to see the cold, hard numbers.

In the late 1970s, the average American television set was turned on for at least six hours daily. Most adults spent more time viewing television than other activities, besides sleep or work. Preschoolers averaged about 23 hours of TV a week. By their high school graduation, a teenager in the 1970s would likely have spent 15,000 hours in front of the television, compared to 12,000 hours in class. However, for Don, the concern wasn’t merely the quantity of TV viewing but also the quality of the broadcast content.

The average kindergartener in 1976 was likely to view between 11,000 and 13,000 TV killings by age 15. This figure didn’t even include other violent acts such as fistfights, muggings, or beatings, which were a mainstay on network TV.

“No wonder the Federal Bureau of Investigation says that my wife and kids are 50% more likely to be victimized by violent crime today than they were 10 years ago,” Don observed at the time.

With research in hand, he was ready to present the church with a challenge: “Turn the Television Off Week.”

A public outpouring

The concept was simple: Avoid watching TV for an entire week to cultivate other interests, especially time with family. No Johnny Carson. No Fonzie. No Starsky & Hutch. No college sports. No evening news. No Saturday-morning cartoons.

The campaign was planned for February 27 through March 5, 1977, among the congregation at First United Methodist Church in Southaven, Mississippi. But there needed to be another step. Personal convictions were fine – but they offered no opportunity for public witness. So, Don asked his congregants to call the network affiliates in Memphis to explain why they would not be watching TV during that particular week.

Two days after Christmas, which fell on a Sunday, he wrote up a one-page press release and sent it to media outlets in the Memphis area. On Wednesday, Don went about his normal activities. As was his habit, after making his visiting rounds in the hospital, he called the church office to check his messages. The church secretary was in hysterics.

“Where have you been? This phone’s been ringing off the hook all morning!” she exclaimed. “Channel 5 and Channel 3 both called and want to interview you for their 6 o’clock news. Several radio stations have called, and I just got off the line with a writer who works for The Commercial Appeal.”

Don rushed back to the office, where he spent the rest of his day doing news interviews and radio talk shows. Turn the Television Off Week was spreading.

When a Memphis correspondent for The Associated Press posted his story on the national newswire, calls started coming in. From Florida to Arizona, Louisiana to Michigan, Wyoming to Delaware, “Pastor calls for television turn-off” was making headlines.

Letters and calls poured in. Some were curious; most were supportive. Don heard from moms, dads, grandparents, business executives, teachers, truck drivers, doctors, lawyers, homemakers, and factory workers. People from every walk of life expressed their appreciation that someone was finally addressing their concerns. The more he heard from others, the more that nagging thought – Maybe it’s just me – began to fade away.

A successful campaign

On January 3, 1977, Don announced that he had sent a telegram to President Jimmy Carter, asking him to join the nationwide effort.

“He may think I’m a quack,” Don told The Associated Press. “But I hope he will join in with us.” 

Don sent letters to numerous other public officials, too, including the governors of all 50 states. Although Carter never responded, the news stories continued to circulate.

As Don had hoped, churches began to link arms. The Church of God, America’s oldest Pentecostal denomination, announced it’s support of Turn the Television Off Week. By the middle of February, Don estimated that between 800 and 1,000 churches and civic organizations had joined the initiative.

During the campaign week, Memphis TV stations reported 1,379 calls from local citizens supporting the effort. One housewife in Boulder, Colorado, announced she was draping her TV in black to acknowledge “the death of decency on the TV airwaves.”

However, Turn the Television Off Week wasn’t without its detractors. Jackson (Tennessee) Sun columnist Delores Ballard wrote sarcastic missives denigrating Don’s efforts. Rev. Beverly Asbury, Vanderbilt University chaplain, called the campaign “a case of being dramatic.” Dr. Paul Stevens, president of the Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission, declined to respond to Don’s request to participate, saying: “I don’t believe in boycotting or cutting off television. I don’t believe it will do any good at all.” Prominent Methodist minister from Fort Worth, Texas, Dr. Barry Bailey, went so far as to call the protest itself “a subtle form of violence.”

As far as Don was concerned, by the time the campaign officially began, it was already a success. The private conviction of a small-town Methodist pastor had grown into a controversial national issue. But this was only the beginning.

A new beginning

During Turn the Television Off Week, Don announced he was leaving the pulpit ministry at First Methodist to start a new organization aimed at continuing the work the campaign had begun. The new group would deal with television programming, the rise of pornography availability on newsstands, and generally “promote decency in our American society.” The new grassroots group would be named the National Federation for Decency, which would later become American Family Association.