The Death of Network T.V.

ABC, CBS, and NBC. For years these networks dominated television from late night shows like The Tonight Show to dramas like ER. But with the advent of cable and satellite tv, network stations saw their vice grip on the American public falter. In recent years wildly popular show like Grey's Anatomy, 30 Rock, The Office and others have seemed to indicate a resurgence in network tv ratings. But despite these popular programs, ratings as a whole for network stations continue to drop. Someone is killing network tv, and in this modern age of technology, Tivo, Hulu, On Demand, and iTunes are holding the smoking gun.

ABC, CBS, and NBC saw an incredible rise from the 1950's up until the late 1970's. But ever since then, their ratings have been steadily declining. The first blow that contributed to their decline was original programming from Cable Television that started in the early 1970's. Satellite tv also contributed to network television's decline when it arrived in America in 1975. As opposed to network stations, cable channels are much more specialized and thus are able to target a specific audience. Also the looser restrictions of cable's content contribute to their popularity.

Even though cable and satellite tv have contributed to the decline of network television, modern alternatives to tv have guaranteed its death. The invention of Tivo singlehandedly did away with the need to watch live tv. Instead of planning your schedule around your favorite shows, you can simply record them and watch them at your own convenience. Hulu and On Demand allow you to choose from hundreds of shows and movies, many of them for free. And Itunes is yet another method to get shows and movies without having to watch tv.

I can't remember the last time I planned to watch a show on network tv. Despite the fact that I watch many of their shows, the act of scheduling your night around a new episode of your favorite show has become obsolete. Why would you watch a show on tv at a scheduled time when you can easily watch it whenever you want? As time goes on, network stations will continue to decline as more and more convenient viewing options become available.

http://tvbythenumbers.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/broadcast-network-viewers-through-2008.gif

http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/how-network-tv-brought-america-together/?scp=2&sq=network%20tv&st=cse