Remarkably, this new means of dissemination proves that public can in fact be cowed further.
From the press release.
Métrovision, in collaboration with the Société de Transport de Montréal (STM), is inaugurating this highly innovative medium, which meets a concrete need for information for public transit riders.
…
According to a survey of regular Métro clients conducted by Descarie & Complice, 90% intend to consult the screens.
1. replace “information” with “data” and qualify it as “stm sponsored” and you get a better idea of the programming (the example in the picture is a rare piece of actual news, though of course insufficient unless you understand the background)
2. I’ve always questioned the validity of a research firm with “complice” in it’s name. Really, even french people think it makes them sound like burglars. (hint: I’ve unnofficially worked for a lot of different research firms) Of course, the 90% stat is definitely accurate, I mean, why would people wait to get home?
From the hour
All content will be in French with subtitles (there is no sound), and advertising will make up 50 per cent of programming time, according to company officials.
they were all staring,
looking up at the glow,
careful not to miss anything.
packs of them,
gaping,
at steven tyler’s maw,
entertainment item.
Then they’re all on the train
their attention shifts to the Hour
or free Gazette
Heads are down
aimed at the same yellow-framed pictures.
Careful!
don’t lose that shred of cultural identity!
Yeah i think it`s great that they set up these gigantic screens (and wasted millions of dollars in doing so) for us to stare at. I mean, just yesterday i was waiting for the subway car to roll in and take me home, and you know sometimes it can take a while, like when lost and/or desperate folk leap forth onto the tracks, or stab a fellow citizen, and so there i was watching this bit on the mute screen about how the government is planning on some cuts in financing the arts in primary school education, and thinking of cancelling creative programs altogether forever and for good and replacing them with memorization classes, and before i could even give a second thought to it all, and figure how my life sucks or how much i hate my job or how i haven`t been returning calls as of late, and how pointless it all is really, or how half my friends are depressed and scared and going through anxiety attacks mostly all the time, the metro door opened before me. I was quick to rest my ass on the last unnoccupied plastic seat (that old lady really thought she was gonna get it, but i was faster), and someone had left a copy of Metro there so i did some reading, and my horoscope said that my life was gonna change for the better so i am waiting.
(amazing.)
also, I’d like to note that to increase the looking at the screens, the transit folks actually TURNED OFF the older screens in that station (just LED ticker things with only red) that said the time and when the next train was coming.
Yes, they removed a useful, appropriate and pleasant service that cost them nothing to have (though i’m sure they’ll pay hundreds at minimum to have the tickers removed) just in case anyone thought about looking away from the tv for a few seconds to see how much more of this they were going to have to stand through.
I really would like to see the stats on the number of jumpers at any given station before and after jumbotron installation. It will probably go down, which depresses me more than anything.
Screens like that are ridiculously expensive. But I’m so glad the money goes to that since the Metro has absoloutely no problems that could have beem fixed with that money.