Are Americans switching off the TV?

TV better than ever?? Not at this household.Prime-time TV is mindles junk.

I haven't watched much TV for years now. I'm just not all that interested. There are very few dramas and sitcoms to catch my attention, and I haven't got much use for reality TV, either. I usually catch at least a half hour of news daily, but it would take a lot more to compel me to make time to watch any other specific program.

I have to be sort of ill or injured to watch TV--not ill or injured enough to just crawl off to bed and sleep, well enough to be able to lie on the couch, but ill or injured enough to not be able to do much else.

I don't have cable, and I can't see the point. I've carefully scrutinized TV listings several times to see if I might want to subscribe, but there has never been enough attractive programming to justify the cost.

Count me in the shrinking audience, I guess.

i haven't sen the total HUT numbers(homes using television) but I would be interested to see the erosion percentage if you factor in cable viewership. Broadcast shares have been going down for years while cable shares have risen..

by the time the commercials are over you forget whatthe hell you were watching !!!!!!!

1. Network TV is not that entertaining anymore...no variety musical/comedy shows anymore, ala Laugh-In; Sonny & Cher type shows, etc.
2. The media is so politally biased you feel like throwiing your shoe at the set. You're driven away to find something else to enjoy.
3. I don't believe the polls do an accurate job of telling the media what is watched and what isn't!

When TV stops developing shows that are only targeted to 18-25 years, maybe us 46 year olds will start watching. Every network show I turn to only shows superficial characters who are young, pretty to look at, and as shallow as Paris Hilton. Reality shows pretty much all suck and American Idol is crap...plus, they have an upper age limit of 20-something. I did watch an episode of Heroes and found it enjoyable, but that was an hour of TV out of a week. The rest of the time I was flipping through junk or settling on The History Channel. Give us something decent to watch!!

You've got to be kidding... the programs on television are the worst ever; mindless junk. If I watch anything it's on the Discovery channel.

About nine months ago, I gave away my television. While there are a few programs that I miss, the overall change in my mental and spirtual well-being is both substantial and most gratifying. I highly recommed your consideration of this option, particularly given the excessively commercial and frequently demeaning nature of the majority of televsion programming. If you do, you will be in a highly exclusive, three standard deviation from the norm, 2% of Americans without a television in their home!

Besides Lost, House, The Sheild, UFC, Good Eats, amazing race, sports, and the Sopranos I hardly watch tv. I'm either on the net, listening to the radio, reading a mag, or playing video games. Shows are boring, they cancel shows that have potential, and too many commercials.

Tv stations concern is not entertainment, but merely to have a vehicle for commercials. This includes PBS. Reruns are made extensive us of in
this capacity.. So....what's to watch?

THE MAIN REASON PEOPLE ARE TURNING THE IDIOT BOX OFF IS THIS.....THE NETWORKS HAVE NIMRODS WORKING FOR THEM...THE SCHEDULING IS ALL MESSED UP AND YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN YOUR FAVORITE SHOW COMES ON ANYMORE...IT IS TIRESOME TO KEEP UP WITH IT....WHATEVER HAPPENED TO...SIMPLER TIMES WHEN SEPTEMBER CAME AROUND AND YOU HAD YOU SEPTEMBER LINE UP AND THE SHOWS STAYED IN THE SAME POSITIONS UNTIL APRIL OR MAY.....WHAT A CONCEPT!!!!! AND THEN YOU HAD RERUNS OR SUMMER SHOWS.....WHAT NITWIT CAME UP WITH MOVING SHOWS AROUND??? IF THE NETWORKS ARE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH CABLE ....THEY ARE SHOOTING THEMSELVES IN THE FOOT BECAUSE THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF EVERCHANGING PROGRAMS CONFUSES PEOPLE AND FINALLY THEY JUST GET FED UP AND GO TO THE COMPUTER OR A CABLE SHOW....WISE UP NETWORKS....SOMETIMES THE OLD WAYS ARE BEST....YOU ARE A BUNCH OF HOCKEY PUCKS....AND YOUR NEWSPROGRAMS SUCK TOO...

We gave up cable about 18 months ago. At first we could still get local (free) tv, including the three major networks - but gradually the signal eroded to the point that nothing was watchable, even with the best antenna.

Then I found out we could keep up with some of our favorite programs online. Now we watch all our favorite CBS shows (Jericho, all the CSI's, NCIS, Shark, and The Unit), and ABC (Brothers and Sisters, What About Brian, Grey's, October Road, and Lost [only my son watches that]) through our computers. The only drawback is that NBC doesn't offer the three shows we want the most (ER, Law & Order, and L&O:SVU) online.

Even though we miss those NBC shows, as well as some of our favorites from basic cable (shows from A&E, Court TV, Discovery, etc), we're not willing to go back to paying all that money every month when we can see most of them in better quality and for no cost at all online. Besides, you get far LESS commercials viewing the shows over the internet than you do watching them on television (usually only one commercial between segment breaks, instead of the 5 or more during the segment breaks on tv). The best part though, is the convenience. I can watch my shows on MY schedule, and anywhere I have an internet connection.

I really think that to some extent, our televisions WILL become obsolete, as more and more people watch online instead - and begin demanding that more of each network's programming be made available that way. It would be great if it continued to be free as well, but I'm not naive enough to think that it will in our capitalistic society. However, perhaps a subscription service that allowed you to watch any program from any non-premium channel (including the major networks) "on demand" without any commercials at all would be a good seller. (The networks won't need commercials if they're getting paid from our subscriptions). They could even offer a tiered service - one monthly fee for those who want their tv without commercials, and a lower fee for online tv with commercials.

Heck, if I knew how to do it, I'd start such a business myself!

It's the long commercials.I say give them the tv.

It is definetely the too long, too numerous pain in the neck TV commercials

We watch less and prerecord all shows to avoid those long, tiresome commercial breaks. One hour shows take only 40 minutes to watch now.

What TV? LOL All we are offered on TV most recently is reruns & repeats. Also, there are now too many of the same kind of show. How many talk shows can we have? How many Drs. do we need to tell us how to live? When cable tv was first offered, it was supposed to be commercial free. That was until the pharmaceutical companies bought cable. Sooo frustrating. Our young people know too much now. We don't need tv to tell them how to get or keep an erection, or not be faced with the gals' monthly problem with just a tiny little gadget or pill. Later to find out they could kill you. We gotta stop this nonsense.

Everytime I try to get into a proagram it goes off or disapears for awhile. every 4 weeks then the ones that are on repeats.. So I just not bother watching it. The only channal I like is PBS no dumb stuff. no commericals. Its a shame no good writers anymore.

I'm with those of the 'mindless junk'set. Me and my t.v. parted in June '06. Everything I need is available via computer.

Quantity in programing...not quality today. And lest we not forget programing with negative messages.

The major new networks abc, nbc and cbs are so unbalanced in their reporting and biased that it is sickening.

Many of the cable news chanels are much better.

Like the congress and the administration tv is nothing but a big joke that is empty and devoid of any value.

And these are the positives.

I get so fed up with the long commercials. There are no good family nights like there once were with TGIF and comedies all night. When you do find something you enjoy, like the Gilmore Girls, then they are cancelled without a real plan to wrap the series up. Once the Gilmore Girls are off then I will quit watching too.