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«t I was just another victim of a new game invented by the ownâ€" ‘ _ ers of cable television. These ‘ _ companies are highly sought after as a means of minting your own ~ money. It didn‘t.help much that I‘d just come from a harrowing day and had had three hours sleep the night before. Or that I didn‘t have a clue as to what the proâ€" gram was about. Or that nobody else did. But the CRTC is leaning on them and suggesting that they produce something besides money for the owners; namely, some local "Canadian content." Our local cable company is in the forefront. It has managed to get itself a television channel and is turning out Canadian content. It wasn‘t exactly a moon shot, or an NHL game, though it was just as interesting as some of the latter we‘ve seen this spring. It WAS a dull program. It had about as much zip and flair as Ed Sullivan interviewing the reeve of Hayfork Centre about the bindweed problem. I think she expected a comâ€" bination of Fred Davis, Pierre Berton, Walter Cronkite and Johnny Carson. But my wife kept up a runâ€" ning fire fo comment "you look terribly thin. You were the grayâ€" est one there. Why didn‘t you speak up? There was no humor at all. Why did you sliump in your chair like a wet rag? You put your hand over you mouth once. What a dull program." Kim was watching, and she thought I was the best, too, which only goes to show you. (She conâ€" fided to my wife, in private, that I seemed bored. And I was.) script, lousy equipment, me reâ€" hearsal and everybody involved, including the technicians, was strictly an amateur. Lt to my wife. I thought I was pretty lmm&‘ you b-lkeltolwl:“-‘ ance, take my advice. ‘t. Nok unless I went o@ TV recently amd it Summer Vacation School for Under 10‘s Parkminister Church Nursery Science, Nature Study, Library, etc. Directed by licenced primary teachers. Mornings only or full day care programs. A way to keep them happy! Call 745â€"2471 PHOTO DAYS at BENT‘S Erb St. East BENTS Camera & Studio Westmount Place Monday 11â€"6 Tuesday and Wednesday 26 p.m. May 18, 19 and 20 only No Appointment Necessary Photos taken in our studio Have Your Child‘s Photo Taken in Color 5 x 7 with Folder Two recent examples of what I‘m talking about: On one show, we watched five or six buses draw up to a local school and the kids, one by one, get out, Fasâ€" cinating, eh? Ten minutes. On another, we watched the resiâ€" dents of an old people‘s home for about 10 minutes, sitting in rows, facing the camera, waiting for "the show" to begin. Crass, if not cruel. But it shows on the books as Canadian content. If it doesn‘t improve rapidly, it‘s just a con game, and should be exposed as such. But the cable companies had better forget about how many hours of "local" content they can point to on their books; and start spending some money on trained personnel, good equipment and organization, or the whole thing will be just another farce to slide around the rules and save money. Now, I‘m not knocking the whole idea. This sort of thing would be great for a small town, where all sorts of interesting things happen. And there‘s lots of talent around. Two technicians were there, watching TV. They‘d never heard of us. They called the manager back in town. He‘d forgotten about the show. He finally arâ€" rived, borrowed a chair for the farmer, and we did the dull show. Cold. It was shown a week later. We arrived at the studio on time. It consisted of a room about 10 feet square in the farmhouse beside the cable tower. A table, three chairs (we needed four), a microphone and a camera. Here‘s the way it went, as a warning. A chap I knew called and asked if I would appear on & panel discussion about educaâ€" tion. I agreed. A student I knew was also to be on, plus another moderator. But it has also produced severâ€" al shows. It doesn‘t really matter what they are, as long as they don‘t cost anything. So I‘ve decided to cut short what promises to be an enriching life as a television performer. Fear of overâ€"exposure. ONLY Ninety percent of it, so fat, is time signals and theâ€"weather reâ€" ©‘1.39 Waterlioo 5765170 ;fi f103 z,wo att * =~ Neacy ul Mutual Life‘ open house Don Foster of the general sysâ€" tems department was another Mutual employee kept busy anâ€" swering visitors‘ questions,. Printing department employâ€" ee Orval Wolfe was kept busy setting visitors‘ names in type on a Ludlow typecaster so that they could have_ them printed on a souvenir name card. ending lineup around his chine. 87, secretaryâ€"treasurer at the time of his retirement more than 20 years ago and~an employee for 43 years. + * He visited his old office where he met Ald. Charles Voelker, whose late father was the accounâ€" tant for Mutual for many years, About 2,000 visitors toured Muâ€" tual Life Assurance Co. of Canaâ€" da head offices this week when the firm held open house as part of its centennial celebrations. _ Among them was Al Mcintyre, PARKDALE PHARMACY Parkdale Plaza For your Health and Happiness Parkdale Pharmacy _ , IS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK TILL 9:00 p.m. SUNDAYS 12 NOON to 9 p.m. PARKDALE PHARMACY OPEN VICTORIA DAY NOON TO 9 p.m. Post Office Hours â€" _ Mon.â€" Sat. 9 a.m.â€" 6 p.m. "Where Friendly, Courteous Service Is Assured" Ald. Voelker finds Al Mcintyre in his former office. PHONE 578â€"2910 Albert & Hazel Sts. FREE DELIVERY MAKING LIFE BETTER FOR YOU! IS DEDICATED TO