[oldave]

Lately, I've wondered which of the "Big 4" networks is going to be first to break ranks and re-write their affiliation contracts to stipulate that anybody who wants it can buy the network via satellite, without waivers from the local affiliate...

With the exception of local news/weather/sports (which some stations make no pretense of providing), there's no longer a valid reason that the "local broadcast station" paradigm makes sense anymore, especially considering the vehemence many here displayed in another thread regarding emergency/weather information.

Has broadcast television reached end-of-life?

 

[Stewart Vernon]

I hope it hasn't... I like local news/weather/sports and some original local programming as well. WRAL was the first HD broadcast station in the country, and has produced some in-house HD documentaries that are nice... but even without that, there is a lot of good coming from the locals in my area.

Not every channel is created equal, but if one falls then the others would likely fall thereafter... once the first network pulled away, the others would likely soon follow suit.

But I wonder... would the network be able to make as much money (say CBS as an example) being a satellite/cable only channel as they do currently from their affiliate agreements?

 

[oldave]

But I wonder... would the network be able to make as much money (say CBS as an example) being a satellite/cable only channel as they do currently from their affiliate agreements?

Considering the reach of cable/satellite, it would be hard to imagine that they wouldn't make as much money.

Not to be elitist... but how interested are advertisers in reaching people who don't have $20/30 a month for cable? Grocers, maybe... other than that... I don't know that the "without cable" crowd is a desirable demographic.

 

[Stewart Vernon]

Probably true for national advertisers... but not so much, I think, for local ones. The local Chevy dealer, for instance, doesn't care if people 1000 miles away see his commercial since they will likely never shop at his place... so he wouldn't pay national ad-rates for a commercial spot.

 

[zmark]

I suspect that instead, they will leverage their exisiting cable channels more. For example, NBC shows repeats of Heroes on SciFi (which has the same owner as NBC). This will be eventually extended to all significant network programming.

 

[Stewart Vernon]

Now that I could see... First-run broadcasts on network TV, but don't repeat them as much... if you miss an episode, make you pay for their cable channel in order to get the repeat. I could see that becoming a reality.

 

[jdspencer]

I've suggested a few times on other forums that having 1500 local stations on satellite is stupid considering today's technology. But, was always shot down by the local news/sports/weather argument. There has to be a way.

 

[dave1234]

If we had only one government run channel all these issues would go away. :lol: