Why don't TV Channels show what they claim to?

[ricdaman]

Examples:

MTV - shows probably 2 hours of music videos in a 24 hour period.
TLC - shows 4 progams total: In a Fix, While You Were Out, Trading Spaces, and Get Packing. Just what am I supposed to learn from these shows?

Why do TV channels do this? Why have they gotten so far from their roots? Can you think of any others like this?

[Lazymeatball]

my guess is ratings

[jdl22]

I think it starts slowly then gets out of control. MTV showed mainly music television type stuff either videos or shows about music. Then they started adding things like comedy shows and of course the Real World. These shows are always popular when they start out because they're something different that appeals to the same market. These shows due to their popularity spawn more shows and eventually these new shows take over and the original content is gone.

Same thing is happening on ESPN. They used to be all sports all the time and are beginning to tilt (no pun intended) toward other shows like their reality tv show, playmakers which was wildly popular but canceled, the poker show tilt, and all the poker stuff which is borderline on the sport concept and most watch for the reality tv aspect. All this programming is loosely related to sports I'm just worried ESPN will eventually only show programming about sports and not any actual sports.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm just worried ESPN will eventually only show programming about sports and not any actual sports.

[/ QUOTE ]

I wouldn't worry very much about that. ESPN loves their NFL, NBA, NCAA, and PGA contrats (for the most part). Still, their new types of shows are not thrilling to be.

You did make a great post, however. I think the reasons you outlined for the decline of MTV (etc) are spot on.
TLC actually used have some decent programming on it before Trading Spaces took over.
It's unfortunate, but not much can be done about it.

[ricdaman]

A few borderline channels about to lose it too:

HBO - Inside the NFL and Boxing. I thought this was a movie channel. Since when did they start competing with ESPN?
Discovery - American Casino, American Hot Rod, American Chopper, BIG. What am I discovering by watching these shows? At least they showed that Egypt pyramid thing. That was true discovery.
Travel Channel - World Poker Tour (not even borderline - way off) and Milionaire boats, planes, bikes, etc. I guess these would fall under "Modes of Travel," but I thought the Travel Channel was suppost to be about destinations.

One channel that changed, but saved themselves by changing thier name and image at the same time was Spike. Very well done on thier part.

Some channels that are staying true to the core include The Food Network and Speed. I don't know what I would do without the Speed channel!

[Duke]

[ QUOTE ]
One channel that changed, but saved themselves by changing thier name and image at the same time was Spike. Very well done on thier part.

[/ QUOTE ]

Is that the channel that used to be the Star Trek:TNG channel that is now the CSI channel?

~D

[Lazymeatball]

Yes, and CSI needed it's own damn channel. Actually I thought Star Trek was on USA as it used to come on after wrestling, back when WWF was still on that channel.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
HBO - Inside the NFL and Boxing.

[/ QUOTE ]

What are you talking about?

Inside the NFL is one of HBO's longest running shows. It's been on for how many years?

[EDIT]-Inside the NFL has been on since 1977.
HBO was launched in 1972

Most of the HBO network's life at least.

Boxing?

Boxing has been on HBO for most of it's life, as well.
I'm going to look for the numbers on this.

[EDIT] - I didn't get the exact number on this, but HBO's site (which is updated VERY infrequently) says they are celebrating 30 years of HBO boxing. Certainly most of the network's life.