Seniors Turn On, Tune In Leisure World TV Channel

Live, from RETV Channel 6, a television game show host calls out bingo numbers while viewers at home play along.

Later in the broadcast, two elderly station volunteers take turns reading for-sale ads for items ranging from a bowling ball to an electric lift-chair for people with arthritis.

During a lull in the local newscast, Harold Winn, 92, tells risque jokes to the TV audience and gets mixed reviews.

These programs are just a part of the daily fare beamed into nearly 13,000 homes at Leisure World, the largest retirement community in Southern California. According to the American Assn. of Retired Persons, RETV is one of only two channels nationwide that cater entirely to senior citizens. Unlike major networks and cable stations, the closed-circuit broadcast offers a hodgepodge of programs of particular interest to retirees, from local news to health and entertainment.

“I really enjoy it,” said Janet Grant, 64, a Leisure World resident who won a luxury cruise last year when she hit the RETV bingo jackpot. “They have programs about senior-citizen health--people come and talk about Social Security and different insurance things that would be of interest to us.”

Take Thursday mornings for example, when “Community Health Hints” features topics such as menopause, Alzheimer’s disease and hip replacement.

“Channel 6 is really unique because seniors can’t get this type of programming anywhere else,” said Kathy Barnum, who produces the senior health show for MRI Centers, a medical testing lab. “Other stations are just beginning to wake up and see the need.”

Yet for 25 years, RETV has offered residents of this southern Orange County retirement community a wide range of programs geared for older people.

Today, seniors can choose among:

* Local news, including live broadcasts of Leisure World board meetings and announcements of upcoming social events;

* Daily Word sermons from the Unity Church;

* A morning exercise session with senior-citizen fitness guru Alta Wine;

* Special reports from the California Highway Patrol;

* A program featuring parapsychology buffs in search of psychic phenomena, and

* Bingo and other entertainment programs.

“It’s really a big service, especially to people who are shut-ins,” said Shirley O’Connor, 72, a resident who recently was a guest on RETV to discuss the newly formed Senior Auxiliary for Planned Parenthood in Leisure World. “I think they do a very good job with what they’ve got.”

Not surprisingly, entertainment shows are the most popular. During daily bingo games, the phones ring constantly at the television studio as winners call in to claim their prizes.

“I think the bingo is probably one of the most watched programs,” said Leisure World resident Fritzie Schwartz, 69. “It’s amazing there are so many regulars. I always thought bingo would appeal mostly to the shut-ins, but that’s not true. There are people who make it a part of their day.”

Many residents stay tuned for “Trading Post,” a program featuring Leisure World volunteers who read classified ads over the air. The free ad service is available only to Leisure World residents who want to buy or sell merchandise.

“It’s a popular way to get rid of surplus junk,” said resident Harry Grossman. “A lot of people who move to Leisure World are coming from larger homes. They have too much stuff, so they sell it.”

Owned and operated by Rossmoor Electric Inc., RETV is run by a paid editorial staff of four with the help of 100 volunteers. Rossmoor Electric is under contract with the resident boards that govern Leisure World.

Rossmoor Electric officials declined to provide any details about the station’s operating budget or profitability. However, equipment coordinator Carolyn Wood said the station does not have to solicit ads.

That’s because RETV is popular among advertisers, particularly those companies looking for a direct way to target the 55-and-over market. Nearly 31 million people in the United States are over the age of 65. By 2020, their numbers are expected to grow to 52 million--one-fifth of the total population. More than 3 million live in California, the highest concentration of seniors in the United States, according to the AARP.

“A lot of the (advertisers) are hospitals and pharmacies,” said Nick Mariano, 68, a Leisure World resident. “There was an ad once to get people to come and visit the Queen Mary. That was really successful because a lot of people had sailed on it.”

Local restaurants give away tickets as bingo prizes to lure customers into their establishments. Commercials also run on the “message board,” a listing that runs evenings and weekends when the station is off the air.

Some residents are skeptical about how many people actually watch RETV, particularly some members of the Leisure World governing boards who are miffed because a lot of viewers don’t bother to watch broadcasts of their meetings.

“I don’t think a lot of people are watching it,” said Virginia Halley, vice president of Third Laguna Hills Mutual, one of three Leisure World governing boards. “I’ve heard some people say the bingo’s a silly thing and that we should bring some bingo in here that brings some real money.”

However, others say they are just glad for the entertainment. “We often sit around and quack about places to eat and what was on RETV,” said Richard Gurvine, 73. “It’s something to do besides talking about when your last operation was.”