Are CBS, NBC, and ABC in decline?

[vcr1980]

From the associated press, "CBS’ prime-time viewership was down 18% from the previous year, as was second-place NBC’s. ABC was down 14% and Fox lost 33% of its audience, Nielsen said."

I notice a lot of stations are airing more and more filler programs such as live sitcom rerun reenactments, Lego competitions, and the recent "boybands from 30 years ago" special.

Most of the over air TV I watch is from sub channels.

 

[TheKrell]

When (what dates) was this polling taken?

 

[SamCdbs]

You only have to pull up the TV listings from ten, or twenty, or thirty years ago and look. In the past, every OTA network was presenting serious efforts in 95% of their time slots.

Today, idiotic game show, faux reality, talent competitions, news commentary.

What is keeping OTA TV alive is local news (which skews VERY old and will eventually fade) and live sports.

 

[Radioguy41]

The mainstream networks have been in decline for quite some time which is what makes their attempts at streaming so sad. If they can't hang on to their audience over free TV whatever makes them think pay TV (streaming) will work?

 

[AZ.]

The mainstream networks have been in decline for quite some time which is what makes their attempts at streaming so sad. If they can't hang on to their audience over free TV whatever makes them think pay TV (streaming) will work?

Because each one are enormous companies that have the market covered! They all own movies, some are giants with sports they have carved out their own nitch in the market! There streaming will be all thats left when they start raising prices on streaming services that arnt there's.

 

[Juan]

Look at the schedule from 1970s and 80s...then you will really see decline

 

[chuckster_dude]

Today, idiotic game show, faux reality, talent competitions, news commentary.

Much of that is cheaper to produce than scripted shows like CSI and comedies. It's all about the bottom line. If we're talking the 3 major OTA networks and prime time offerings, news commentary really isn't there in prime time.

 

[SamCdbs]

If we're talking the 3 major OTA networks and prime time offerings, news commentary really isn't there in prime time.

CBS presents news commentary on Sundays at 7 and Saturdays at 10; NBC presents 2 hours of news commentary at 9 on Fridays, and an hour at 9 on Saturdays; ABC has two hours of news commentary at 9 on Fridays as well, and it launching 3 more hours of news commentary on Thursdays for six weeks after New Years.

I get the “its cheap” idea in network scheduling. Faux reality, news commentary, talent shows, and game shows cost way less than standard filmed entertainment. The point is that it just accelerates the decline. The audience for this drivel is tiny.

By my count, the four networks present only 41 hours of serious filmed entertainment (including Fox’s cartoons) out of 81 total prime time hours. The numbers in past decades were far higher.

 

[chuckster_dude]

CBS presents news commentary on Sundays at 7 and Saturdays at 10; NBC presents 2 hours of news commentary at 9 on Fridays, and an hour at 9 on Saturdays; ABC has two hours of news commentary at 9 on Fridays as well, and it launching 3 more hours of news commentary on Thursdays for six weeks after New Years.

I get the “its cheap” idea in network scheduling. Faux reality, news commentary, talent shows, and game shows cost way less than standard filmed entertainment. The point is that it just accelerates the decline. The audience for this drivel is tiny.

By my count, the four networks present only 41 hours of serious filmed entertainment (including Fox’s cartoons) out of 81 total prime time hours. The numbers in past decades were far higher.

What you see on CNN, FOX News, CNBC, MSNBC and other cable outlets in prime time is what I would consider to be "news commentary" i.e. a talking head offering opinion on a topic and bringing on guests to support that opinion. 60 Minutes? I can see how one would think that in some of their stories but not in every one. But 48 Hours, 20/20 and Dateline are not "news commentary" shows compared to what you see on cable news networks I mentioned. I don't know what the 3 hours of "news commentary" that ABC is launching on Thursdays after New Years is.

If the audience for reality shows and game shows really is "tiny", they wouldn't be on network TV. The major networks spend a lot of time looking at ratings and if something isn't cutting it with advertisers and key demos, it's not going to be on TV.

So say what you want about what's on network TV in prime time these days but just because it doesn't appeal to you or to me (I don't watch much prime time network TV) it's appealing to other groups of people and that's why that programming is offered.

 

[vcr1980]

When (what dates) was this polling taken?

2020-21 television season as reported on June 2, 2021

 

[vcr1980]

You only have to pull up the TV listings from ten, or twenty, or thirty years ago and look. In the past, every OTA network was presenting serious efforts in 95% of their time slots.

Today, idiotic game show, faux reality, talent competitions, news commentary.

What is keeping OTA TV alive is local news (which skews VERY old and will eventually fade) and live sports.

Thank you for that 95% figure. It definitely seems like they are just trying to fill air time in many cases. It's as if it's cheaper to throw up a cheap program that no one will watch for an hour than to pay for an expensive program that some people will watch for an hour. It's like they are weighting their options and finding that "not trying" is more cost effective than "trying" in some cases (cases which seem to increase every year).

I think this is evident by the quality of the same exact show going downhill. For instance, the Country Christmas specials used to be large events. Now, it seems like they are after thought events.

 

[vcr1980]

If the audience for reality shows and game shows really is "tiny", they wouldn't be on network TV. The major networks spend a lot of time looking at ratings and if something isn't cutting it with advertisers and key demos, it's not going to be on TV.

You make a good point and I believe you are correct to an extent. However, what about the same exact show which has been on for many years which has now gone downhill considerably in terms of production quality (you can just feel that they aren't trying like they used to). It's like they have determined that throwing something cheap up for 1 million views is better than going all out (on the same exact show) for 1.1 million views.

 

[SamCdbs]

Remember the Jay Leno debacle?

In short, NBC put Leno in its 10 PM slot, five days a week. Its executives, at least on the business side, actually told the trade papers “yes, we know very few people will watch, but its way cheaper than making a serious 10 PM type show”.

Led to an “affiliate revolt” because Leno’s ultra low ratings were undercutting the 11 PM news ratings. My local station was among those threatening to dump NBC.

NBC was forced to reverse course and return to serious effort crime and medical dramas within 3 months.

That was only 13 years ago. The affiliates revolted over making a token effort. Today all accept that token efforts are made at least half the time, if not more.

 

[kb7oeb]

I believe it , a lot of network shows i liked ended, shows like superstore, and cbs moved two shows i like to streaming only.

I’m watching more PBS than i used to so it’s not all bad.

 

[NYDutch]

I believe it , a lot of network shows i liked ended, shows like superstore, and cbs moved two shows i like to streaming only.

I’m watching more PBS than i used to so it’s not all bad.

Check out the 95 minute "Call The Midwife" Christmas special at 9:00 PM Christmas night on PBS. We love the series!

 

[MartyDe]

The main thing that has reduced our network viewing is the ads. Realizing ads are necessary it's hard to accept the total amount of time they take up in a half hour show. We enjoy Shark Tank but it's been hacked up into tiny pieces. So we lean more to PBS and streaming.

 

[N5XZS]

The quality of over the air show's are hand tied by the FCC resulting lack of high quality uncensored programs contents.

That's why they are losing to uncut version on streaming pay internet channels.

FCC needs to slack off on censorship on free to air OTA broadcasters, so they can compete better programmings against pay internet streamers!

 

[Juan]

The quality of over the air show's are hand tied by the FCC resulting lack of high quality uncensored programs contents.

That's why they are losing to uncut version on streaming pay internet channels.

FCC needs to slack off on censorship on free to air OTA broadcasters, so they can compete better programmings against pay internet streamers!

No no no
They had high quality for years and years
Swearing and nudity do not make a movie or show high quality
Writing does

 

[N5XZS]

Then look to 1883 on Paramount ÷, Sex and City, HBO, Games of Thrones, HBO, Star Trek Picard, Paramount +, Expanse, Amazon.

All have good writings and made high quality R rated TV shows, that could have been shown on U.S. free over the air TV broadcasts.

But no problems in other countries in free over the air TV broadcasts with no censorship at it all mostly in Europe and we are stuck with lame duck FCC!

 

[Juan]

Then look to 1883 on Paramount ÷, Sex and City, HBO, Games of Thrones, HBO, Star Trek Picard, Paramount +, Expanse, Amazon.

All have good writings and made high quality R rated TV shows, that could have been shown on U.S. free over the air TV broadcasts.

But no problems in other countries in free over the air TV broadcasts with no censorship at it all mostly in Europe and we are stuck with lame duck FCC!

No..its just more profitable to charge a monthly fee than give content away for free