1 of 1- RadioActive
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Fall Preview: The Sad State Of Traditional OTA Networks This Year
This does not reflect well for OTA TV as we approach the new television season.
As I looked at the paltry number of pages in the new U.S. TV Guide's Fall Preview issue, it quickly stood out how few new shows the traditional networks are offering this year. In years past, the much anticipated issue was filled to overflowing with previews of new programs. Most of us who subscribed could not wait for the issue, which turned up on news stands and mailboxes in September. It was a collectible and I have years worth of them.
My how times have changed. As I looked at the Guide's list of new shows this year, it wasn't the quality of them, but the scarcity that stood out to me. There are literally only nine new series debuting among all four networks this year, likely the smallest number in history.
Some of it is caused by sports commitments (NBC has NBA games now on Tuesdays, which led to the decision to cancel the series "Found") and returning hits are also part of the picture. But I strongly suspect they're saving money by putting on cheaper game and reality shows (four of the nine newbies fall into this category), and this could be the first year I record very little off the American or Canadian stations.
It's extremely telling that CBS is filling its 10 PM hour on Sunday nights with "Drama Encores." Sunday was once that network's biggest rated night of the week, and to put reruns there speaks volume. Perhaps NFL overruns is part of it, but while they've all given up on Saturday nights, this is the first time I've ever seen this on the last weekend night of primetime.
There is only one - count them, one - sitcom debuting on any network this fall. CBS' "DMV" is the lone laugher being offered. I can't remember that ever happening before.
Most of the money seems to be spent on their own individual streaming services, which they rightly assume is the future of the industry.
If the U.S. networks wanted to cause their own decline, the best thing they could do is put on nothing and cede the future to streaming. It certainly looks like that's been the decision this year.
Here's the new schedule from the U.S. TV Guide:
- darcyh
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Re: Fall Preview: The Sad State Of Traditional OTA Networks This Year
It bemuses me that you hear how broke people are these days. Yet many of the folks have the latest thousand dollar cell phones and subscribe to music and video services costing hundreds of dollars a month. The streaming services make the content worth paying for I guess. Or people don't see that they are leaking money every month.
I do not see much of a future for OTA television stations except maybe for large cities.
Last edited by darcyh (September 10, 2025 10:54 am)
- Aytononline
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Re: Fall Preview: The Sad State Of Traditional OTA Networks This Year
I don't understand why Bell still has 2 OTA CTV networks. Most of the CTV2 stations like Windsor, London, Barrie, Victoria and Dawson Creek could easily move to CTV1, with Alberta and Halifax (Atlantic) cable channels shutting down and in Ottawa picking the newest transmitters between CHRO and CJOH. ( can you believe by the book the CHRO is still a local Pembroke tv station. )
Global pulled this off in Ontario. At one time Toronto and Oshawa would have been to close togather to have the same ower and the same network, but times have changed.
- RadioAaron
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Re: Fall Preview: The Sad State Of Traditional OTA Networks This Year
So they can hoard programming
- Dial Twister
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Re: Fall Preview: The Sad State Of Traditional OTA Networks This Year
I admit that, but for my wife, I'd have dumped traditional network TV a long time ago.
Too many commercials. Too many weak offerings. Few opportunities to binge-watch episodes.
Unfortunately, as the streamers crowd out traditional networks, streamers are now sliding into old habits of commercials and wait-until-next-week episodes.
"I love the poorly educated."
.......Donald J. tRump
- RadioActive
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Re: Fall Preview: The Sad State Of Traditional OTA Networks This Year
It turns out I wasn't the only one to notice this scarcity of new shows on network TV. This is from Matt Roush, the television critic for TV Guide Magazine in the U.S., who sums it up pretty succinctly.
"Let me direct you to TV Guide Magazine’s Fall Preview issue, currently on stands, which leans heavily into new streaming series. Which is hardly a surprise, considering that NBC and ABC are presenting exactly one new series each in the fall (a reality show featuring Jimmy Fallon on NBC, a 9-1-1 spinoff on ABC), Fox is offering only two (both game shows), and CBS is going big on spinoffs with only one new comedy and one reality show. The idea of a “new fall TV season” isn’t what it used to be, that’s for sure."
These pickings are not only slim, they're practically non-existent. The rule going forward is "pay or see nothing." What a shame.
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