BROADCAST TELEVISION ... SUCH A PITY IT SUCKS SO MUCH!

BROADCAST TELEVISION, HOW MUCH LONGER?
As broadcast television continues to slit its own throat, this is the question.

When you watch television powered by an antenna, that’s broadcast television. When you watch television punctuated several times an hour by interminable ads and public service announcements, that’s broadcast television. When you watch TV’s impossibly insulting program lineup, that’s broadcast television. When you watch TV’s less than 39 minutes of content in any given hour, that’s broadcast television.

It’s bad enough that broadcast television continues to rear its ugly head with inane programming and viewer abuse, but it’s no longer just the major networks. Remember that ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, and assorted news, talk, and sports networks are all guilty.

Today there is an inundation of over 25 other ‘specialty networks, each running reruns from as far back as television exists and beyond. These, like the major networks, also spew an unending string of ads. What you might think of as an ‘escape’ from the curses of broadcast television is nothing more than the same old sh!t under a different name.

In an attempt to escape, I joined Amazon Prime for its many choices of commercial free entertainment. For the most part it fulfills promise, but there is a horrible trend growing even among prime movies and television. Ads are here too.

Before a movie you badly want to watch you’ll hear, “The following movie will be shown without interruption after these messages.” Then the 2 ~ 3 minutes of commercials begin. At least this means you can go to the bathroom, grab a snack, and return in time for uninterrupted entertainment. Okay, it’s better than broadcast television although it brings to mind the following question, “Why am I paying for this?” The answer is clear so far. I am paying for a movie or show that’s commercial-free after the initial run of commercials is over.

What really sucks is another part of this new ‘thing’ on Amazon Prime. Many movies and shows now begin with this disclaimer, “The following movie will be shown with minimal interruptions.” Yes, the magic word here is “minimal” and that’s not so minimal. This leaves the door open for them to run any number of breaks, usually about 5, during the movie. Okay, it’s a hell of a lot less than broadcast television but still, it interrupts the show 5 times or more which is just enough to be annoying as all Hell.

I guess I could subscribe to Hulu or some other movie channel, but then what’s to prevent them doing the same?

Even if the alternatives of Amazon Prime or other streaming services don’t clean up their act, they are still good enough to stand by and watch as broadcast television continues to bleed out. Maybe in my lifetime I will witness the end of that era.

I can only hope.

I’m Max, and that’s the way I see it!