THE COMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY.
I watch about 5 networks on satellite. I have roughly 150 to chose from.
I do not believe in bundling because that makes satellite or cable more expensive for the subscriber.
I do support a consolidation of television channels.
Fine Living, Home and Garden, and the Food Network all serve the same audience.
A Combined Channel would seem more reasonable.
Its not a sure bet, but niche programming seems to have run its course.
ABC, CBS, and NBC have lost their dominace in the national television market.
Yet, the niche channels are balkanized.
Safe to say, I watch Battlestar Galactica rated by most people in Television as the best drama on television and yet it only gets 1.5 million viewers each episode or so.
It would not sell on the 3 main networks because of its actions in terms of taking liberties with social commentary.
A lot like Star Trek back in the 1960s.
Battlestar Galactica could have been sold to Fox Broadcast Network, but it was never offered to them as far as I know.
A good show sometimes needs 2 to 3 years to develop its potential like Happy Days or Star Trek: TNG.
It depends on the viewers finding it, networks not monkeying with the formula, and the actors/producers/writers/directors having the patience and not getting greedy.
Dallas lasted for 13 years. By rights it should have been canceled after 11 years.
Cheers could have run for 3 more seasons, but it would have seen a reduction in the quality of scripts like Gunsmoke.
That's the general idea.
It took Hill Street Blues to win multiple emmys at one awards show to arouse the public's interest in that show. It became a hit.
I quit watching mainstream television because the soundtrack of the audience was irritating to me.
The humor or lack of humor or lack of substance drove me nuts in terms of today's shows.
That does not mean I would not watch, but the fact that a show might be in its 3rd season leaves no room to delve into its history.
I liked the 1960s The Fugitive TV Show. Some critics that I have read about consider it the best show of all time on television.
Yet, it lasted just 4 years.
I do not watch TV Land because in a way I work a lot of hours.
Let's say, the quality of television has gone down dramatically do the fact of too much choice.
Almost an information overload.
I like Football, but I do not care for other sports.
If you watch too much of one sport it becomes dull and boring.
Sort of like Star Trek. It has hundreds of hours of television, but one person cannot be an expert on all facets of that phenomenon.
Consolidation of the Industry, but not bundling of services to subscribers.
That happen in the Oil Industry a while back. Chevron/Texaco and Exxon/Mobil.
Yes, consolidation. More than 3 networks, but not 135 networks.