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The Number Of People Watching TV Is Falling Off A Cliff
BI ^ | 9-23.2015 | Myles Udland

Posted on 09/23/2015 1:30:05 PM PDT by blam

Myles Udland
September 23,2015

It seems like people just aren't watching TV anymore.

A report from Ad Age on Wednesday paints a bleak picture of Tuesday's overnight TV ratings, which come during one of the industry's most important weeks of the year as new shows are rolled out on the major networks.

Ad Age, citing figures from Nielsen, reported that every returning drama that aired Tuesday night saw viewers decline by double digits while debuts were a "mixed bag."

But aside from the performance of individual shows, the number of people using TV in the coveted 18-to-49 demographic was down 8% against the same time last year, and for the first two nights this week usage is off 10%.

Ad Age also noted that among millennial consumers (18-to-24-year-olds), viewing is down 20% against last year, with 24% fewer men in this age group watching TV. The number of 18-to-34-year-old men watching TV is down 18% compared to the same period last year.

Over the summer, there was a broad concern regarding cable companies and a loss of subscribers to services like Netflix and Hulu.

And a report from Wall Street analysts over the summer said TV networks were stuffing their airwaves with commercials in an attempt to prop up revenue. That report said ratings were down 9% over the prior year through July with ad loads correspondingly increasing by 10%.

(snip)

(Excerpt) Read more at businessinsider.com ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cable; internet; media; radio; theidiotbox; tv
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To: blam

gave up all sports 20 years ago - never looked back, never missed it.

gave up Cable/ Satellite last month, don’t miss it one bit, don’t see ever wanting to sign up for it again.

Same as sports for me - didn’t enjoy it anymore as it glorified things I didn’t like and stopped being for things I did like, many better things to do with my time.


81 posted on 09/23/2015 2:45:15 PM PDT by rigelkentaurus
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To: Drew68

About 1975, I bought my first 19” color portable. It cost nearly $600.

In 2007 I bought my first wide-screen LCD — 32” 720p for about $750.

I have been thinking about a newer 4k, as they are in the $600 range, but that 2007 LCD still has great color and all kinds of peripheral device connections.


82 posted on 09/23/2015 2:47:29 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: blam
If you have ever had a septic tank, you know what a "honey wagon" is. It's a large tank that is towed around and, when a septic tank gets full, the honey wagon crew stops by and pumps out the ... stuff ... and hauls it away.

Television is a lot like a honey wagon, except that it pumps the sludge INTO your house, not out.

83 posted on 09/23/2015 2:53:05 PM PDT by IronJack
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To: henkster

History is all Pawn Stars and Conspiracy Theories. I NEVER watch TV news. It is merely propaganda. There are no shows that I watch with my family, (four daughters, two grandkids and a wife, all with different interests). Cannot stomach two minutes of reality TV. This leaves, mostly, sports and old movies. Turner Classic Movies is a treasure, despite how you may feel about Ted Turner or Ben Mankiewicz. Talk about your vast wastelands...


84 posted on 09/23/2015 2:54:32 PM PDT by fhayek
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To: blam

I was 20 years ahead of my time. The only show I have watched since 1995 is the Walking Dead, which I buy on DVD. I don’t own a TV anymore.


85 posted on 09/23/2015 3:01:07 PM PDT by Vince Ferrer
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To: blam

Stopped watching when they took Palladin off.


86 posted on 09/23/2015 3:09:54 PM PDT by rhinohunter (Freepers aren't booing -- they're yelling "Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz")
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To: Drew68

We had two color TVs in 1968, the big TV/Stereo combo one in the living room and the portable in my parents bedroom. And yes some of our friends thought we were “rich”.


87 posted on 09/23/2015 3:19:58 PM PDT by shotgun
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To: blam

Take a look at the dismal NASCAR ratings this season. Nearly every race is on cable, making it impossible for many fans to watch. Broadcast races still do ok though.

Maybe that should tell them something.


88 posted on 09/23/2015 3:21:25 PM PDT by cyclotic
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To: TomGuy

Where is the 4K content, though? Specialized Blu-Ray discs? What else?


89 posted on 09/23/2015 3:36:53 PM PDT by Company Man ("An armed society is a polite society." -- Robert Heinlein.)
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To: SamAdams76

We stream korean dramas for an hour a night and it is free. We connect an old laptop to the big screen in the family room. And we don’t mind reading the subtitles. We are picking up Korean, too.

http://www.dramanice.tv/

Here is an example of a great 20 part series that is the best time travel show I’ve seen.

http://www.dramanice.tv/drama/nine-time-travel-nine-times-detail


90 posted on 09/23/2015 3:38:55 PM PDT by lulu16 (May the Good Lord take a liking to you!)
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To: rhinohunter
Stopped watching when they took Palladin off.

Remember though, that was the title of the rerun version of Have Gun Will Travel.

91 posted on 09/23/2015 3:46:22 PM PDT by Inyo-Mono
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To: PAR35

“2) Pop up ads. “

They’re the worst. I record all my shows on a DVR, so the regular ads aren’t much of a problem; but, there’s no escaping the pop-ups (and that’s the idea, of course). I try to avoid recording shows from networks that use pop-ups — but, I realize that it won’t be long before they’re on every channel.

Even if there weren’t a huge and growing quality gap between “free” (i.e. ad-sponsored) network TV, and “pay” (i.e. the viewer is the customer who has to be pleased) TV (whether streamed over the Internet, or on a speciality-cable channel); it’s worth paying to avoid the ads.


92 posted on 09/23/2015 3:47:39 PM PDT by USFRIENDINVICTORIA
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To: blam

The networks run so many commercials now that I forget what I was watching.


93 posted on 09/23/2015 3:54:31 PM PDT by Aquamarine
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To: fhayek
"Then, in 1967, we got a COLOR TV."

What the heck...are you that sibling that I have amnesia for? lol

Actually, my family got color tv in '67 as well. My father made us all march downstairs to watch the Rose Bowl Parade.

94 posted on 09/23/2015 4:07:15 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion)
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To: cyclotic; blam
Take a look at the dismal NASCAR ratings this season. Nearly every race is on cable, making it impossible for many fans to watch. Broadcast races still do ok though.

Stopped watching NASCAR a couple years after Tony Stewart got out of the Home Depot car... Won't be back... Too PC... Too crybaby... too many bouncy-jangly bits on the screen. meh.

Rubbin's Racin'... That's why I liked it. Now it's all restrictor plates, cars so much alike as to be bsically identical, fines for fighting, fines for this, fines for that... and boring, monotonous races filled with crappy announcers. Screw em. I got better things to do.

95 posted on 09/23/2015 4:12:12 PM PDT by roamer_1 (Globalism is just Socialism in a business suit.)
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To: blam

Finally, some good news!


96 posted on 09/23/2015 4:14:18 PM PDT by joshua c (Please dont feed the liberals)
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To: henkster
Back in the fifties and sixties I was a huge Milwaukee Braves fan. During their time in Milwaukee, I probably saw them a total of maybe five times on nat tv.

Many teams did not have a tv network, and the Game Of The Week on national tv rarely featured the Braves. I would have given a lot of money to watch Hank Aaron play more than the handful of times I saw him on tv. I bet a lot of Wisconsin baseball fans would have paid a little extra money to have a network that televised Braves games.

97 posted on 09/23/2015 4:24:38 PM PDT by driftless2 (For long term happiness, learn how to play the accordion)
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To: TalBlack

I record “Jeopardy” to skip commercials and then usually watch it between 6:30 and 7. That can mean catching a min or two of 2 broke(n) girls. Just appalling and more shocking is that it is on so early in the evening.

Even my grown children are offended. Whaddya bet that the producers of this and similar trash just double down on the filth when the ratings go down.


98 posted on 09/23/2015 4:24:49 PM PDT by Let's Roll (Before it can get any better it has to stop getting worse - vote 4 most conservative available)
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To: Company Man

Many of Netflix’s newer streaming releases are in ‘superHD’. That may be what they are calling the 4k content.

Cable and satellite companies may be offering it soon. Mine just recently doubled the Internet speeds and download/upload capacities. I assumed it was in preparation for 4k offerings.

==

3-D seems to have died again. VIZIO isn’t even offering any new 3-D televisions.


99 posted on 09/23/2015 4:30:48 PM PDT by TomGuy
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To: polymuser
Queer celebrating, male bashing, Christian humiliating, shallow plot, adult youth appeasing, foul languaged, sophomoric, fake reality, political agenda, dizzying camera motion TV is losing viewers? Can’t imagine why.

I pretty much only watch DVDs now, though I do watch some stuff on Hulu. Some new shows and movies, but mostly older ones that I enjoy watching time and again. I have a pretty good collection and don't buy much new stuff anymore. Once in a while I see a clip or two from a current tv show at a friend or family member's house and am shocked by the liberal preaching, gore, crassness and foul language. I guess I've become a prude in my old age (haven't hit 50 yet).
100 posted on 09/23/2015 4:34:50 PM PDT by LostInBayport (When there are more people riding in the cart than there are pulling it, the cart stops moving...)
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