The overall losses in the English broadcast networks are pretty much 100% explainable by a shift of those viewers to cable networks. As it has been for the last 25+ years, broadcast viewing is down, cable viewing is up, and overall TV viewing is fairly stable.

And you are correct about local markets. We don’t do much with local numbers because we don’t see them on a regular basis, but my understanding is that the local Univision news broadcasts in many of those cities are #1.

With a growing number of Hispanics, and the percentage of the population that is Hispanic rapidly rising, Univision’s ratings are way up. Maybe that’s why they’re the only broadcast network up in year-to-year ratings.

I would suspect that in markets that have large Hispanic populations (Miami, Los Angeles, El Paso, Laredo), Univision is probably the dominant network in those cities.

Is it possible that there is an excess of bad scripts that was okayed due to the writer’s strike?

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3i1e78793628949bf0d7261030ca1fd817

I gather a lot of scripts would not be up to par for a while. Though I feel as though I am pulling a Nielsen: taking one story and attibuting it to the whole industry just to prove a point.

There were millions of DVRs added into the mix, it’s true. Nielsen estimates DVR penetration increased from roughly 21% of homes to 25% of homes from season to season so that’s probably around 4.6 million new DVR homes. While that surely has played some role, I think what denverdean cites (the debate coverage) is likely a bigger contributer. Still, I agree the changes in DVR audience from year to year are probably worth noting in the boilerplate of these posts..

As a matter of fact, I am kind of surprised that HBO has picked up True Blood, it just doesn’t seem like an HBO kind of programme. But neither had sex and the City seemed that way either. Their programming Exec seems to know a lot more than I do I guess.

I agree. Its why NBC’s whole theme this year was to try to be more escapist with their shows. However, its clear that viewers are not running from the stronger, more established procedural / crime dramas of the networks either. I think it is mostly cable. Cable networks have a lot more time to devoted to promotion due to the fact that even the biggest cable nets like USA and TNT take their time with their original series and if it doesn’t pan out, there have reruns. The broadcast nets don’t have this luxury.

Also, small tidbit about Moonlight fans. Its not like everyone on this site hates Moonlight fans. Its just that I remember like one time, this blogger (don’t remember) merely mentioned that Moonlight MIGHT be canceled (this a while ago) and like some fans just attacked him with floods of comments and its was really ugly, and a smidge weird/annoying. So, that’s why people think of dedicated Moonlight fans on the internet as like scary or annoying and such. BUT that’s all over right…?

But I can’t help but figure that the quality of shows are just not supporting the economical market base as to what viewers are looking for.

This is not a post to supplement Moonlight, but I’m just saying that since the economy is belly up, in relation to the economicl woes, McDonalds and other franchises that support depression attitudes, in way of pick me ups, are showing marked increase in profits. That is why ticket sales are up for the Movies. Maybe there just are not enough of those types of shows on tv, shows that support a real escapist attitude? I like the CSI and NCIS franchaise, but it started out really depressing this season, people like me want to see more up beat stuff. It is weird, but a lot of the networks have less feelgood storylines, like Ugly Betty, Supernatural, even One life to Live has a dour scope to it. Where is all the fun in things lately? I just don’t get it.

Maybe that is why so many people tune into american Idol, people feel a small investmemt in the candidates, and when the one they back win, they feel a sense of accomplishment and happiness. I don’t get that with a lot of shows these days, I don’t feel as if my life depended on the character making it through a coma or anything like that.