It's a question that would have been unthinkable in previous eras. But with the rise of streaming and the endless ratings erosion that has plagued broadcast TV in the past few years, a new study suggests over-the-air networks and local stations should consider getting rid of the expensive programming that has always been its bread and butter - and concentrate more on what makes money.

In the view of those experts, that's live sports - especially the NFL - and perhaps even infomercials. It asks why keep chasing eyeballs that are mostly looking elsewhere?

"The key point is not that broadcast should abandon entertainment entirely. It is that the industry may need to stop treating broad entertainment as a structural obligation. A show or format should survive because it serves a clear commercial or strategic purpose, not because the legacy grid demands a certain number of hours to be filled. In practice, that could mean fewer expensive originals on broadcast, more experimentation on streaming platforms, and a more disciplined willingness to let linear television focus on the kinds of programming it still does best."

I, for one, would hate to see the end of the kind of TV we all grew up with and the kind of classic programming we remember - shows like "Friends," "Seinfeld," "Hill St. Blues," and more. But if the audience keeps defecting elsewhere, how long can broadcast TV survive in its present form?

Broadcast TV’s Next Act May Be Smaller, Sharper, And More Selective