Ruth Erickson: “Yes, in this day and age of instant media coverage, if the TV hadn’t covered it, cell phones would have shown it all over the world anyway.”
Mary Zanger: “If Discovery Channel chose to televise the ‘walk’ across the Grand Canyon live, then yes. I support the freedom of choice. Why should I judge the correctness of a choice? Furthermore, those who own TV stations make choices based on the bottom lines. If station owners find sponsors who pay for commercials that pander to all but keep big bucks flowing, then such spectacles happen. The sad commentary in all of this could be that we no longer have a soul nor a moral compass but dollar signs for eyes and paper bills for hearts.”
Marty Richman: “No, this was not a news event it was entertainment with only two possible outcomes, success or death; a delayed playback should have been used. Additionally, this may encourage homegrown success or death scenarios by youngsters seeking riches and fame.”
Richard Place: “I don’t see any difference between that and NASCAR, Indy racing or extreme sports. At one time or another someone has died on live TV.”
Bill Mifsud: “Yes, we live in a new world. REALITY TV. The ratings show that reality TV is in. Just count the number of reality shows and the tightrope event qualifies as a reality TV event.”
Nants Foley: “I don’t think it needed to be shown live. If he had fallen it would have thrilled some and horrified others. Not only did it not need to be televised, but it probably didn’t need to be done at all!”
