You shouldn't be reading this, because the blogs are fluorishing but poor network TV is languishing. The middle of July saw its least viewed week in the history of broadcast TV in the US (via Boingboing):
CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox averaged 20.8 million viewers during the average prime-time minute last week, according to Nielsen Media Research. That sunk below the previous record, set during the last week of July in 2005. (AP)
The network news shows didn't do that great, either:
"World News Tonight" averaged 7.3 million viewers and "Nightly News" had 7.2 million (both 5.1 rating, 11 share). The "CBS Evening News" averaged 6.5 million viewers (4.6, 10).
What surprises me is not how badly the networks did but that many people watch them at all. Why would you get your news from those half-hour "news" shows when they are nothing but tabloid summaries, and bad ones at that. I understand why people watch intellectual low wattage TV cable shows like Chris Matthews or Wolf Blitzer, two of the dumbest hosts on the tube, or Fox News, or, let's face it, Keith Olberman. I like Keith and watch him because it makes me feel good to see my views reflected on national media, however palely. But I don't learn anything. It's entertainment. The network news shows aren't entertaining or informative. If I watch them it's just to see what's in the latest press release from the corridors of power. Mostly they are either boring or aggravating.
Who needs that?
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I pulled the plug on cable over a year ago. Haven't regretted it yet. The only time I watch TV is when I travel. When I do, I am always appalled by the degradation of this medium. And I grew up watching Gilligans Island. Perhaps that will be considered High Art in the not too distant future.
I have cable so kids can watch Disney and such. Sometimes when I cannot sleep at night (and wife is working night shift), I watch B-grade monster movies on sci-fi channel. I'll switch to the local channel if the weather is a concern, or to CNN if there are big breaking news, plus C-Span during elections. That's it. I do not remember when was the last time I saw a milisecond of anything else, including...no, especially major networks.
Blitzer is so tiresome. Matthews is so aggravating.
"Why would you get your news from those half-hour "news" shows" I think a lot of people watch the news while eating or preparing meals. It's similar to radio news: most people listen while driving.
I don't know what I'd do for News if it weren't for the Fair and Balanced views of Fox News. They report, I decide.I've decided that far too many of our citizens actually believe that Murdoch's right-wing megaphone is actually a news channel, rather than a proponent for whatever big lie the neocons are trying to foist on us this week.
I get my news from a real news source, The Daily Show.
Man of Misery, I'm with you on the Daily Show. It's the best. And I, too, can't figure out why so many people still watch the tripe we call network news. And BTW, I'm a lifelong conservative. Go figure, even we conservatives (er, the two or three remaining moderate, non-religious ones) are disgusted these days -- except I'm disgusted with BOTH sides and I think ALL the news channels are nothing but manipulative propaganda. But I suppose in my old age I'm becoming a good candidate for living out my days peering suspiciously from a tiny window in a ramshackle mountain cabin. :)
I too enjoy Jon Stewart's Daily Show. And enjoy Stephen Colbert even more. That guy is truly brilliant.
It's not surprising that what was once called 'network news' or their purveyors aren't doing well. After all -
CBS - part of Paramount
ABC - owned by Disney
NBC - part of Universal
Fox - owned by News Corporation, though that's a pretty ironic name isn't it?
These are media/entertainment conglomerates. That is their job, to entertain and make money. It certainly isn't journalism, or even news-reporting anymore and hasn't been for some time.
After years and years of this, I think people are slowly starting to tune them out. People are starting not to buy it anymore. I'm not.
It's certainly a lot easier to get information online (even local news), rather waste time listening to some scripted talking point from Katie Couric, or some pundit-infested cable show.
It's go to be one of America's top exports (entertainment). That and military hardware (bombs, bullets, rockets, etc).
Well, this is way past it's prime, but tonight the networks are having an orgasm over the capture of Jon Benet Ramsey's killer. They are outdoing themselves in their zeal to top the National Enquirer for title of best news source on the planet. [derisive expletive deleted]
Speaking of JonBenet's alleged killer, you may find convincing (as I did) the alternative scenario for what happened that night, as explained in the cleverly-titled post "The Single Pervert Theory" at the Rigorous Intuition blog - http://tinyurl.com/glkus
It's not a happy thought - but hey, this is the future - you got to live it or live with it