WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE FUTURE OF SUBCHANNELS ?

[boba]

METV, Antenna TV, Decades ETC. are growing and showing lots of good oldies but goodies, but for how long? Most of those oldies had limited runs on Network TV and were shown in reruns now years later they are being rereleased to the subchannels and being shown at least 5 times per week which eats up the limited programming rapidly. I have watched "Adam 12", "Emergency", "Dragnet" at lest twice for each episode that is available but that has taken less than a year to do it. M*A*S*H had 251 episodes at 5 showings per week that is only 50.2 weeks of viewing. We are going to eat up most available programming rapidly. How many programs are good enough to watch repeatedly?

 

[jayn_j]

The way I figure it, the three networks released prime time material for 3 hours a night, 7 days a week from 1950 until now. Fox was added with 2 hours a night from 1990 onward. That becomes something like 70000 hours of material available for syndication. Yeah, they burn out Emergency! and Adam 12, but then they sub in Streets of San Francisco and Kojak. And of late, they are adding the older cable material like Monk, Psych and Hot in Cleveland. There is plenty available and will be forever.

 

[Scott Greczkowski]

I agree, and more and more companies are starting new classic subchannels.

For many there is now something good to watch on TV again.

 

[Juan]

They don't show every episode of emergency and adam12

 

[navychop]

OMG! They're going to bring back My Mother The Car and Hot L Baltimore! Run!

 

[jayn_j]

OMG! They're going to bring back My Mother The Car and Hot L Baltimore! Run!

That's the beauty of lots of subchannels. Many will run away. Some will run toward.
Gotta quit now and fix the TIVO to filter out all the HeeHaw reruns.

 

[ancient]

I think a lot of it may depend on how quickly Americans stop paying for cable TV. Consider a channel like SyFy, formerly SciFi. They have a lot of science fiction shows and made-for-TV movies in their archives, only a few of which have been released for syndication. If their entire library were released for syndication you could have an entire subchannel devoted to science fiction (especially if they could also get the rights to all the various Star Trek series from years past). That's just one example of a genre that hasn't been touched yet.

The downside is that as cable channels disappear (and I don't think it's a matter of if, but when) there will be less original content made. Maybe at some point our legislators and regulators will realize that companies like Comcrap and AT&T are holding us back from having the type of Internet service that is available in many other countries (and in Google Fiber areas) and will decree that ISP's have to provide true high speed, uncapped Internet to end users. If that happens over much of the country, then the smart cable networks will start offering their services directly to end users (in a way that does not attempt to keep you from watching on an actual HDTV set), and they will survive if they have good content. The rest will slowly fade into oblivion. No technology lasts forever; if you watch a movie made back in the 30's or thereabouts there will probably be some reference to a telegram (or a message received by "wire") but I am in my 60's and I have never sent nor received a telegram in my entire life. The landline telephone is about to succumb to the same fate (pretty much already has among the under-30 demographic), and in a few more decades I suspect cable and commercial satellite TV as we know it will go the same way.

The only reason I think this hasn't happened sooner is because of the propaganda value of having a network like Fox News available to every cable subscriber. While a lot of people would never watch that to begin with, there are unfortunately a lot who do just because it's there and they don't have to pay extra for it, but the powers that be know that very few people would choose to pay a monthly fee just for Fox News (or any other news channel, for that matter). And even if only 10% of cable viewers watch Fox News, the propaganda they see there could be enough to tip a close election. And I suspect this is the major reason the Republicans are fighting tooth and nail to maintain the status quo.

 

[boba]

The way I figure it, the three networks released prime time material for 3 hours a night, 7 days a week from 1950 until now. Fox was added with 2 hours a night from 1990 onward. That becomes something like 70000 hours of material available for syndication. Yeah, they burn out Emergency! and Adam 12, but then they sub in Streets of San Francisco and Kojak. And of late, they are adding the older cable material like Monk, Psych and Hot in Cleveland. There is plenty available and will be forever.

Of those 70,000 hours of programming how much do you want to watch again? When METV brought back "Superman" I set a timer for it. As a child I enjoyed the program but now I find the show almost obnoxious it was aimed at children and it is still only fit for under 5 year olds. Today I find it humerous to see Lois Lane cranking a telephone and asking the operator for Meteprolis 65000. Or looking at the cars which at time of filming had to be late model cars. Or even flying to an assignment Clark and Lois board this 4 engine propeller driven airplane, I really find it much more funny than the entertainment it was supposed to provide

 

[FTA4PA]

If all 70,000 hours were to become available, then 70,000 hours = 2916.67 days = 7.985 years of continuous, non-repeated programming. Most likely we would be able to find something to watch.

 

[jayn_j]

So the question becomes whether you can find something worthwhile on the many subchannels in your area. If something is on that doesn't appeal to you, move on. Either someone is finding it interesting, or the network is not doing its job and will die.

 

[primestar31]

Old episodes of Adam-12 or Perry Mason, are better the 50th time of watching, then some of the new shows the FIRST time!

 

[danristheman]

We need different theme channels sci fi channel, tech gadget channel, sport channel.

 

[Radioguy41]

Subs are proliferating rather briskly right now but eventually they'll plateau followed by a thinning of the herd. I think subs like Movies! and GetTV will grab hold while some of the weaker retros, especially those with poor image quality as opposed to content, will disappear. Just my personal opinion but I think those subs that emphasize movies have the best shot to sustain. There is one trap that they can fall into that could spell their doom and that would be excessive repitition of content. Showing the same handfull of films over and over again will chase viewers away in short order. All in all I love the direction OTA is heading in, especially the old movies. As I posted on another thread the one thing I would like to see is a sports bulletin board type sub. Not a bunch of annoying talking heads but just a BB showing things like scores, schedules, trades, signings, etc.

 

[boba]

Old episodes of Adam-12 or Perry Mason, are better the 50th time of watching, then some of the new shows the FIRST time!

Agree 100% but too much can be too much. Saturating the market with 5 showings per week rapidly eats up inventory and there is no source for additional episodes. Many of the stars have died.

 

[larrykenney]

Jayn_j... you mentioned "Streets of San Francisco". I have always enjoyed that show and would love to see it again. What channel is offering it? I looked around and didn't see it anywhere.

 

[FTA4PA]

"Streets of San Francisco". I have always enjoyed that show and would love to see it again. What channel is offering it? I looked around and didn't see it anywhere.

Streets of San Francisco is on MeTV, Sundays at 4:00pm Eastern.

 

[mike123abc]

A lot of the subchannels will probably go away if the FCC & Mobile phone companies have their way... They plan on changing another 100 MHZ to cell phones - essentially TV stations will only go up to channel 36. The plan of course is to combine stations from the upper band with those remaining as subchannels...

 

[MikeD-C05]

There is something comforting about watching reruns that you saw when you were really young. We watch Wonder Woman , Star trek and Lost in Space every Saturday night. Also have enjoyed watching the Save by the Bell reruns and almost have reached the end of the series again. Haven't seen that show in over 20 years. I also enjoy watching Star trek next generation ,but that show is on BBC America. It has been over 20 years since I watched that show too.

 

[foghorn2]

Someone should pick up V and Logans Run. I need some cheese with my Tostitos.
and more Campy stuff please, those were the good ol days of TV.

So sick of these mindless cell phone generation peoples with their idiotic reality shows.

 

[bobontampabay]

METV, Antenna TV, Decades ETC. are growing and showing lots of good oldies but goodies, but for how long? Most of those oldies had limited runs on Network TV and were shown in reruns now years later they are being rereleased to the subchannels and being shown at least 5 times per week which eats up the limited programming rapidly. I have watched "Adam 12", "Emergency", "Dragnet" at lest twice for each episode that is available but that has taken less than a year to do it. M*A*S*H had 251 episodes at 5 showings per week that is only 50.2 weeks of viewing. We are going to eat up most available programming rapidly. How many programs are good enough to watch repeatedly?

I think that the innovative solution is to develop new- sub channel networks. IF the media can break the binding chains of subscription TV (cable-satellite) then there would be room to put sub channels for advertiser supported specific-interest networks such as News, Weather, Sc-fi, HGTV/DYI/cooking, kids, sports, etc.