A Vicious Circle

These tools won't fix television

 

There are too many cable channels.  I said it.  I know, for most of you out there, that's blasphemy.  You all want as many channels as you can get.  If cost weren't a factor, probably a lot more of you out there would agree.  It sounds good, but let's look at this critically. 

Way back, I was so happy that we would have a channel devoted to Science Fiction (I like it so much that I have to capitalize--if you don't like it, write your own blog).  Then we got a channel devoted to cars and auto racing.  If it weren't 24 hours of NASCAR I would probably like it more.  There was so much promise, where did it all go wrong?

Basically, there are lots of great ideas for specialty channels, as they have come to be called, but there have been a lot of bad ideas too.

I used to look forward to some TV programs.  Now, I think that if I miss it, I can see it another time.  Maybe the problem isn't too many channels, but too many choices.  The problem is, that too many choices has led to too many channels.

A twenty-four hour reality TV channel means that not only is there too many mediocre shows being broadcast, but that too many mediocre shows are being made to fill the need.  Can anyone say vicious circle?

Now, I am not advocating a return to the 13 channel universe--I remember those days all too vividly.  I am advocating a return to quality over quantity.  When will it start?  Cynically, I say never.