Are Broadcast Networks Dying?
Viewership numbers for traditional broadcast TV news channels have reached record lows as more Americans turn to new media sources for more reliable information.
The way Americans are getting their news is changing in significant ways. Indeed, the way Americans consume mass media in general is changing, and rapidly so.
According to Nielsen, which has for decades tracked TV viewership, the percentage of Americans who viewed programs via streaming platforms such as Netflix versus traditional TV has shifted dramatically.
For the first time since Nielsen began tracking streaming platforms four years ago, more Americans view TV via streaming platforms than traditional TV. As of last month, 46% of viewers streamed programs, whereas 42% viewed TV via cable (23.4%) or broadcast networks (18.5%).
According to Nielsen, June’s numbers represented the first time that total traditional broadcast TV viewership dropped below 20%.
It’s not unusual for traditional broadcast network TV to see viewership numbers dip during the summer months, only to pick back up in September with the start of the football season. But dipping below 20% is unprecedented.
Meanwhile, TV streaming platforms saw their viewership numbers climb by 3% in June, likely due to kids being out of school for the summer. YouTube led the way, followed by Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, respectively.
When it comes to news media, Fox News not only dominated all other cable news channels but also bested all the broadcast news networks — ABC, NBC, and CBS. While Fox News has occasionally surpassed the broadcast news networks, the news cable channel has now steadily maintained higher viewership numbers for seven consecutive weeks.
Furthermore, these numbers represent a big shift from just a year ago, when nearly 48% of people viewed TV via broadcast networks and cable, versus just over 40% who viewed via streaming services.
These numbers reflect that the younger demographic’s viewing habits are increasingly geared toward streaming platforms rather than traditional TV. Meanwhile, and unsurprisingly, among the oldest demographic, traditional TV dominates.
Given these numbers, it makes sense that the traditional broadcast news networks, which have long leaned left, are having less political sway across the American culture. Long viewed as the doorkeepers of acceptable policy views, that reality has been broken, and their social influence appears to be rapidly waning.
The data also serves to illustrate the erroneous nature of Democrat lawmakers’ objections over Republican efforts to eliminate taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS. NPR CEO Katherine Maher has made repeated gaslighting attempts to claim that the publicly funded Leftmedia organization has no political bias. And Democrats argue that NPR and PBS are essential to inform the public and hold the government accountable. Please.
The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of Americans get their news from a wide variety of other, more trustworthy and reputable sources other than NPR or PBS. And the notion that the public needs NPR and PBS to stay informed about government is laughable.
As former veteran NPR journalist Uri Berliner famously charged when exposing the degree of the leftist bias at his former outlet, NPR does not seek to inform its listeners. Rather, it seeks to indoctrinate them, to tell them how to think.
Thankfully, the vast majority of Americans have seen through the bias and have sought out more trustworthy media outlets — such as our humble publication.
