The future of local TV

Interesting post in Mediapost online today: that a new chapter will soon begin at local TV stations around the country. A perfect storm of recession and increased competition have cut local TV station revenues as much as 25% in less than a year. 

Prime time network shows like ER and CSI used to represent exclusive beachfront property for local stations. But now you can watch those shows anytime with limited interruption on hulu.com, through iTunes for a couple of bucks or on the networks’ own Web sites.

Stations are beginning to fire their own ammunition. A battle is emerging in Boston, where NBC affiliate refuses to carry Jay Leno’s upcoming weeknight 10pm show, because they predict it will fail, and instead run a lucrative new local 10pm newscast. 

All this will lead to uncharted territory:

- Eventually, many of the best network shows will migrate to cable networks and away from affiliates

- Local stations will band together to create prime time shows that they own and control

- Stations with strong news departments will expand the time set aside for newscasts and may even program local news around the clock on their digital channels

- Stations without strong news ratings will fold their news presence and run entertainment shows

Change is inevitable, and it’s not realistic to pine for the old days as it applies to anything in our lives.

But in the case of local television, I believe deregulation has been counterproductive. Communities suffer when radio and TV stations are allowed to do whatever they want and use the marketplace’s economic response as their sole guide. 

Yes there are many outlets to receive entertainment on radio and TV…more than ever before. Because of scarcity of the airwaves, the FCC should enforce guidelines on community involvement that once existed, and made stations much more involved in the community and responsive to their viewers’ welfare.