End of TV: Speciality programms to the net first
As a recent article in the New York Times points out there is a trend - away from the popular darling iTMS - that TV shows and programming that has not the multimillion mass following is going to the net first. Shows that have not - according to blurry TV industry polling - reached the threshold to be "on air" are going "on net". This includes old shows that got canceled and odd things like sailing shows.
My knowledge of the TV industrie that I have grown into tells me that this will tip the media consumption to these kind of shows in a heart beat - while overall some shows might fair well on a forced programm schedule TV execs did everything to get the cheapest shows the highest ratings - putting them in high value time slots etc. If people are forced to choose their programming in the near future I think current TV show successes that make the majority population dumber have a much bigger problem of gaining access then smaller high speciality shows that target a specific audience and the niches are lots. Everyone has a hobby or does a sport or has a certain interest that is not entertainment oriented - if you could build knowledge or see how others fair in your area of interest wouldn´t you choose such a show over pure dumb entertainment like those cheaply produced early evening shows? Wouldn´t you tune into a news show that actually is critically of what is says over the "modern" entertainment news shows forced down your throat on forced time programming TV of the last century?
The media is picking it up as if we are walking into a case of natural evolution - I for one predict a revolution that is spells the death for television for a less controlled more critical more diverse media of the future - a media with dissent and the same "moving pictures appeal" of the modern day couch potato producer.