Nielsen reported a first for television: In July, the percentage of people watching linear television (cable and broadcast networks) fell below 50 percent for the first time. I feel like I see a version of this statistic every summer--mostly because...
If the majority of cable channels were owned by someone other than the same conglomerates that own streaming networks and broadcast channels — would there be better programming on cable?
No, I genuinely don’t think that would matter. The quality of what’s on TV is dictated by the customer. Execs will air whatever as long as it brings in viewers and ad revenue. They’d air a 24-hour special on paint drying if it could pull in enough eyeballs.