Some 2.5 million fewer people are watching television this year compared to last year according to the Nielson ratings.
The big TV networks think that the numbers aren’t being counted correctly because a large numbers of viewers use digital recorders and watch shows on their own timetable.
They also hypothesize that early Daylight Savings Time is causing people to spend more time outdoors instead of in front of the TV set.
Well, in my opinion, these are the real reasons people aren’t watching TV anymore:
- The programs stink. How many CSI shows can you watch? How many years of Survivor do you need? Even American Idol is getting long in the tooth. I still find it entertaining, but when college kids are voting in the millions for the worst singer, it’s time to end it. Be warned: Lost has been renewed through 2010, so you’re not going to find out what the hell is happening on that island for at least another 3 years.
- The networks send their shows on long hiatuses. I love Veronica Mars, but how am I supposed to remember what is happening when she takes 8 weeks off? How many times can I watch the first five episodes of Gilmore Girls before they carry on with the season?
- I find better entertainment on the Internet. Most kids today would rather sit in front of a computer than watch a program on TV. You can’t interact with your TV set.
- It’s expensive. Remember when television used to be free. The promise of cable was that we would pay for programming and not be bothered by commercials. But it turns out that we pay for cable and still get advertised to, now with more minutes than ever in each half hour.
Television was once the most powerful medium in the world. But instead of using it for education and quality entertainment, it was used to sell us soap and cheeseburgers. So we’ve turned to something else.
How many hours of television are you watching this year compared to last?
Grace Magazine 
still zero hours of watching television, now the tenth year in a row! Did I miss out on something? nah no way.