by Mark Schwendau
A recent article in Yahoo Finance reports the latest data from Nielsen that linear television viewership fell below 50% in July 2023 for the first time ever. Both broadcast and cable each hit a new low of 20% and 29.6% of total TV viewership respectively. These two markets combine for television total consumption of 49.6%.
Time spent streaming media via smart televisions increased 2.9% in July compared to June, according to the Nielsen data, to reach a record of 38.7% of total TV usage. YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime, all saw month-over-month viewership increases of 5.6%, 4.2%, and 5%, respectively.
This data comes as more consumers drop their cable packages in a trend known as cord-cutting opting instead for streaming services that are reported less profitable for media companies.
Streaming subscriber numbers at major direct-to-consumer services (DTC) including Peacock, Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+, Paramount+, Max and Discovery+ were also down by about 500,000 combined.
Conversely, Netflix’s password-sharing crackdown helped this streaming service add 5.9 million subscribers in the second quarter.
It is not known how much pay TV is being impacted by “Bidenomics” but what is known is the majority of Americans are fed up with the big 3 broadcast news organizations (ABC, CBS, and NBC) lack of honesty and natural curiosity in reporting the news. Some have termed what is going on as “news bias”.
The reason why news is such a big deal in looking at these numbers is Pew Research has found almost three-quarters of Americans, (71%) watch local TV news and almost two-thirds, (65%) watch national network news.
And now for a little bit of trivia; The 6 feathers of the NBC peacock represent the divisions of News (yellow), Sports (orange), Entertainment (red), Stations (purple), Network (blue), and Productions (green). Of those, news is where the bulk of the regular viewership is.
The Media Research Center reported that national news networks devoted 291 minutes to President Trump’s supposed scandals and zero seconds to the Biden family’s actual scandals.
Joe Biden’s own classified documents scandal whereby he held classified documents from the time he was both Senator and Vice President was more important, and illegal, than any documents President Trump retained. After all, Trump is legally allowed to sort through his files for 5 years after he leaves office. Joe Biden’s bribery allegations linked to scandal-plagued son Hunter Biden is an even more serious concern since bribery and treason are impeachable offenses according to the Constitution.
Somehow the Big Three TV executives mistakenly decided wall-to-wall coverage of the false charges (Fake News) of former President Trump was their key to success. They, apparently, guessed wrong.
The researchers at Media Research Center determined ABC, CBS, and NBC has devoted all of their scandal coverage to Trump and none to Biden or the son Hunter.
“Over four days (June 8-June 12), the Big Three (ABC, CBS, NBC) broadcast networks predictably crammed their evening, morning, and Sunday roundtable shows with a total of 291 minutes of coverage dedicated to the Trump indictment,” said the report from Geoffrey Dickens, the director of media analysis at the Media Research Center.
Boycotts are what conservative Americans of faith are doing to right the course of America these days only in this instance it seems like it is less a boycott than people selecting other options. The providers with the best content, whether it is the truth in news or good entertainment, will ultimately win in the end.
Copyright © 2023 by Mark S. Schwendau
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Mark S. Schwendau is a retired technology professor who has always had a sideline in news-editorial writing where his byline has been, “Bringing little known news to people who simply want to know the truth.” His website is www.IDrawIWrite.Tech.
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