By Michael Lynch
MATV Executive Director
Here’s what’s new on MATV this week:
(You can view all of the following programs on our Video OnDemand page by clicking here.)
Did you know that antibiotics are completely ineffective for treating viral infections? And even when someone has a bacterial infection, it’s not always best to take an antibiotic. This month on “Talk of the Town,” a doctor, a nurse and a medical school student come to the set to discuss a worldwide health crisis that stands to affect every single human: the overprescription of antibiotics. Host Brian Kelley and his panel of experts examine how antibiotics actually work, why their overuse is creating treatment-resistant “superbugs,” and how to be a knowledgeable user of these powerful drugs. This episode airs at 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights on the Public channel (Comcast 9/RCN 13).
Hurling is an Irish sport full of action, speed and skill, and in the new St. Patrick’s Day of “Actin’ Up with Mel and Gigi Giraffe,” one of the kid crew members who plays the game is showing Gigi and everyone else how it all works. Learn some new sign language and even capture a leprechaun in this episode that is currently airing seven days a week at 3:30 p.m., and Monday through Thursday at 7:30 a.m., all on the Public channel.
For the layperson, there’s a lot of jargon that gets in the way of understanding the basics of digital technologies. MIT visiting lecturer and author Mark Stuart Day recently stopped by the set of “It’s All Write with Suzette” to talk about his new book, “Bits to Bitcoin: How Our Digital Stuff Works,” which sets out to explain some of those slippery computer topics in simplified terms that anyone can grasp. Tune in for a digestible discussion on computer security, the cloud, the blockchain and more when this episode airs on the Public channel Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 8:30 p.m.
In this month’s Creator Spotlight, get to know “Talk of the Town” host and producer Brian Kelley, who has been putting his own spotlight on Miltonians with his cable access show for over 23 years. Take a look back at some of the early days of the program, with Thatcher Farm milk truck rides and interviews with bedrock community members, and hear anecdotes about times where things may have gone a bit sideways during production. This brief sit-down is airing all around the MATV schedule, and it is also available on our website via Video OnDemand.
On New Year’s Day, 1984, 24-year-old Kevin Walsh rigged himself to 57 helium-filled balloons and took off a mile into the sky. Now, this Milton resident has written a book about his experience, including the FAA investigation into the incident, called “57 Balloons,” and he recently visited the Milton Public Library to deliver an author talk. This presentation is currently airing during the Monday Forum at 6:30 p.m. on the Public channel.