Driving Sports

"Lifetime Television, the number one-rated women's television network for nine consecutive years, has signed a carriage agreement with RaySat Broadcasting Corporation (RBC) to provide Lifetime programming on AT&T CruiseCast, the innovative in-car entertainment service."

Thus begins the press release that announces - without a hint of irony - that TV aimed at adults - specifically, women-shaped adults - can be beamed directly into your car while you're driving.  I can't see this as good news for anyone. Admittedly, I love my car stereo as much as the next guy, but the salient feature of radio, CD, or iPod tunes in the car is that you don't have to watch it. You can enjoy the tunes just fine while keeping a keen eye on the world around you.

Under the terms of the agreement, the AT&T CruiseCast service will immediately include Lifetime, which features "a robust slate of programming that spans original movies, dramas, comedies and unscripted series." Great - you can watch replays of The Bachelor while you're supposed to be driving.

When automakers first put TVs into cars, they did it sensibly - put the screen above the back seat so the kids could watch a DVD while they were in the car. They even included headphones so that adults in the car didn't have to listen to The Lion King for the 500th time. lt was a good idea - a boon to frazzled parents everywhere. Some cars with built-in screens in the dash could play movies for the front seat passengers, too, but not while the car was in motion. Automakers were well-aware of the liability associated with this technology.

But the aftermarket allows you to put a TV screen virtually anywhere in your car, and play it whenever you want to. And now we've got AT&T pushing 42 satellite TV networks into your car - and these networks are aimed at adults. They say "the service surpasses the simple headrest-mounted DVD displays by providing a broad selection of mobile video that, in addition to Lifetime, includes a variety of family, documentary, music, comedy, news, sports and children's programming."

And they go on about it, too:

"With AT&T CruiseCast carrying Lifetime Television, automobile passengers who have this groundbreaking service will now be able to watch our top-rated shows and movies while they are on the go," said Lori Conkling, executive vice president, distribution, Lifetime Networks. "Women's household buying power is a key selling point in the automotive industry. This deal perfectly complements our corporate strategy to make Lifetime Television available to our targeted audience across all platforms."

"Delivering the best programs to in-vehicle viewers of all ages is what the AT&T CruiseCast service strives to provide," said Steve Symonds, co-founder and executive vice president of RBC. "The content we have licensed from Lifetime includes some of the most popular programs for women, and we're thrilled to deliver them to our subscribers."

AT&T is careful to say that this is for "rear-seat entertainment systems," but then they go on to note, "Consumers can enjoy Lifetime plus 41 other channels by purchasing the service at a local after-market car accessory retail outlet."

So in addition to cell phones, we'll now have the danger of people watching the Movie of the Week while they're coming up behind you and me at a stoplight. A new family wagon this year probably has a cooler built in to the center console, TV screens with satellite channels, complete climate control - all you need is a full bathroom and a closet and you'll never need to leave your car. That might be a reasonable solution in the current economic era, but I can't see this as anything but a disaster for the automotive world.