TV Program Rated RL for Retirement Living

Most of us in the 50-plus age group can clearly vintage tvremember sitting sleepily in the dark, wee hours on a Saturday morning, eyes affixed to a blank and humming television set, waiting with anticipation for the new day’s programming to begin. We longed to be entertained — to laugh, to cry, to learn.


The television and what we have come to call entertainment over the years has changed drastically. The rabbit-ear antennas sitting atop our wooden consoles were trashed long ago with the invent of cable and now digital, and the newest plasma television version is now so flat it can be mounted on a wall similar to a piece of art.

And though the television has gone through a number of cosmetic and technical changes, our affection to this electronic friend has never waned.

Amidst hurried daily lives, there always seem to be a few spare minutes in the day to tune in to a favorite television show. Whether trying to stay current with the news, tuning in to a weekly sitcom, or trying to further our learning about science, history, or how to cook, having a television within eyesight in hopes that a free moment might become available is typical.

Televisions now center most family rooms and are often found in bedrooms, kitchens, and even bathrooms; and it is customary that the majority of waiting rooms have at least one television in view at all times. Restaurants, airplanes, and now even automobiles are detailed with televisions, because with all of the changes that have occurred in our lifetime, we still want to be entertained.

Recently, through the foresight of John Erickson, a retirement community developer, television programming is now going to include a new network named Retirement Living TV. The network has begun airing programs addressing the 55-plus audience on issues such as finance, health and wellness, lifestyle and leisure; and preliminary findings indicate a very positive reception among viewers.

After signing an agreement with DIRECTV, Retirement Living - TV, with the slogan, “TV Finally Grows Up!,” is now available for viewing by an audience of about 25 million on DIRECTV’s Channel 238, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time, on Monday through Friday.

Shows currently available on RL-TV include:

  • The Art of Living
  • Healthline
  • The Voice
  • The Informed Citizen, and
  • The Prudent Advisor

“This is the first national television network that specifically delivers to this group,” said Tansill, senior director of public affairs for Erickson Retirement Communities. “Retirement Living TV is changing the face of television in the United States and filling a void in the process.”

Former White House correspondent, John Palmer, currently out of retirement, will host several RL-TV shows and was fortunate enough to interview tv legend Art Buchwald prior to his death. This interview is available for viewing in streaming video at http://www.rl.tv/. As far as when this program will become available nationwide — well, stay tuned!

A couple of select tv quotes:

  • “Television is an invention that permits you to be entertained in your living room by people you wouldn’t have in your home.” David Frost
  • “Television: chewing gum for the eyes.” Frank Lloyd Wright
  • “Television was not intended to make human beings vacuous, but it is an emanation of their vacuity.” Malcolm Muggeridge
  • “Ninety-eight percent of American homes have TV sets, which means the people in the other 2% have to generate their own sex and violence.” Attributed to Gene Baylos
  • “I wish there were a knob on the tv to turn up the intelligence. There’s a knob called “brightness,” but that doesn’t work. Author Unknown
  • “If it weren’t for Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of television, we’d still be eating frozen radio dinners.” Johnny Carson
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