The last decade has seen a steady increase in the number of people dropping cable or satellite television and replacing them with streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, or Amazon Prime (despite growing complaints about those services squeezing customers). However, new data shows the cord-cutting trend isn't limited to cable and satellite, but is happening in broadcast television in general. A survey out of the UK finds that less than half of young people watch actual TV broadcasts, with most only using TV to watch YouTube, TikTok, or other streaming services.
Those numbers reflect similar trends in the U.S., where traditional TV viewing has been steadily declining for years. "Traditional television has largely gone by the boards," says Jeff McCall, media studies professor at DePauw University. "Basically, traditional television is now only good for sports, or other kinds of live programming like reality shows or game shows."
The data also shows the decline in TV viewing is not limited to younger viewers, although they are leading the way. Older people are not tuning in for news and network programming the way they once did. "It's going to be interesting to see how these establishment networks try to adapt, because their options are limited." says McCall. "And to get the attention of your average American---particularly young adults, but even middle-aged adults---is gonna be very hard."
Nowhere is the decline in traditional television demonstrated more than in network newscasts. Once the centerpiece of nightly television, with Walter Cronkite considered the most trusted man in America, now Cronkite's CBS Evening News is about to undergo its sixth anchor change since Dan Rather left 19 years ago. McCall says this is another example of the networks failing to adapt to the new reality. "When you watch the evening news now, they're basically just regurgitating what people have already talked about during the day, and you don't need Walter Cronkite to come on and tell you the news, because you probably already know about it," he tells KTRH. "Which makes it very hard for these news programs to maintain any sort of relevancy."
Photo: iStockphoto