The Future of Television Pt 1. Television is not music.

I hear lots of people talk about television networks like they are dinosaurs that need to change or they will die. They point to the music industry and tell television networks they are next. The odd thing to me is these same people think if networks go away, they will see get the same television programing they are getting right now and they will pay less for it. This does not make much sense.

Here is the difference between television and movies. A musician can make music and bring it to market without a record label. Everyone from famous musicians to new artist can do it all without the help of a bloated company taking money for other projects. No one has been able to produce a TV Show and bring it to market without television networks. Not a TV Show the quality of what we currently see on the networks and most cable channels.

You have to remember that television and movies are not like music. The song a musician writes for live performance is the same song they are going to record for sale. They can make money off that song in different ways. At one time musicians when on tour to support and album. In the internet age you release the song to support the tour. This same idea does not work for television. There are no touring companies of CSI and Grey's Anatomy. If television networks go away right now, television goes away. There is no two ways around it.

It costs a lot to make a television show. Even if the bottom falls out of the television market, it will still cost a lot to make a television how. People want high quality content and that costs money. As much as I love YouTube, it is not the same as watching television. I am not sure I want to trade in the content I currently get on TV for the content I currently get on YouTube.