Why Every Cable TV Channel LOST Their Identity

[TMC]

MTV is just one of many cable TV channels that changed everything in the 21st century. In this video, I go over why channels like History, Bravo and more have abandoned their original concepts for reality TV.

[Yong Fang]

MTV had to change because its original format is obsolete. I am surprised that the channel still exists, basically it's core audience were teenagers and college students and now them (and everyone else) can just watch music videos anytime they want (do artists still make music videos?) For looking at their daily schedule, it seems to have like three or four shows on, starting with nine hours of something called Ridiculousness, with something else called Catfish and Ru Paul's Drag Race. Shows I have never heard of.

What is interesting are channels like A&E, The History Channel, and The Learning Channel. Actually A&E in my opinion at first was boring, one step up from PBS. It started to introduce some great shows. My favorites are Hoarders and Intervention. But the few people who watched the original boring format wants their Boston Symphany Orchestra and stogy BBC soap operas.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

MTV had to change because its original format is obsolete. I am surprised that the channel still exists, basically it's core audience were teenagers and college students and now them (and everyone else) can just watch music videos anytime they want (do artists still make music videos?) For looking at their daily schedule, it seems to have like three or four shows on, starting with nine hours of something called Ridiculousness, with something else called Catfish and Ru Paul's Drag Race. Shows I have never heard of.

What is interesting are channels like A&E, The History Channel, and The Learning Channel. Actually A&E in my opinion at first was boring, one step up from PBS. It started to introduce some great shows. My favorites are Hoarders and Intervention. But the few people who watched the original boring format wants their Boston Symphany Orchestra and stogy BBC soap operas.

This is going to be a very simplified answer but based on what I've just gathered, MTV really stopped mattering and being relevant when A) Tiktok, Instagram, Snap, and YouTube were built. B) It didn't do a better job at embracing social media and adapting to the internet. C) MTV lost its ability of being an ultimate "taste maker" or "gate keeper" in music and popular culture. D) The dreaded cost to ratings ratio. In other words, rather than producing quality material, MTV and Viacom has prioritized running things on the cheap, especially if it still got comparable ratings. It's a plus if MTV owns the distribution rights and don't have to pay much in licensing fees.

[TMC]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

MTV had to change because its original format is obsolete. I am surprised that the channel still exists, basically it's core audience were teenagers and college students and now them (and everyone else) can just watch music videos anytime they want (do artists still make music videos?) For looking at their daily schedule, it seems to have like three or four shows on, starting with nine hours of something called Ridiculousness, with something else called Catfish and Ru Paul's Drag Race. Shows I have never heard of.

What is interesting are channels like A&E, The History Channel, and The Learning Channel. Actually A&E in my opinion at first was boring, one step up from PBS. It started to introduce some great shows. My favorites are Hoarders and Intervention. But the few people who watched the original boring format wants their Boston Symphany Orchestra and stogy BBC soap operas.

When did MTV start to go downhill in your opinion?

• 1992: The Real World <-- Beginning of the End.
  
• 1998: TRL <-- Point of No Return. From here on out it's not a radio station on TV, it's a reality TV network with music shows. This is MTV's event horizon.
  
• June 1, 1999: Napster is released. <-- The USS MTV, somehow managed to hit an iceberg, while falling into an event horizon and we all learned to hate Lars Ulrich.
  
• July 22–25, 1999: MTV's coverage of Woodstock '99 <-- MTV now no longer understands/comprehends young people.
  
• 2000: Cribs <-- From here on out new content is just re-worked content from other networks or stuff revived from years ago. In Cribs' case it's Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.
  
• 2005: MTV Spring Break <-- Moved to MTV U. MTV has lost interest in trying to be a style maker, when only 6 years earlier it dictated exactly how every incoming high school Freshman would dress.
  
• 2009: 16 and Pregnant; Jersey Shore <-- He's Dead, Jim. MTV is at best TLC for teens.
  
• 2014: MTV Spring Break. <-- Unlike James Franco's Alien from the 2013 movie Spring Breakers, spring break is not forever. The dream is dead, even on your child network.

[Hawkee]

I would have to say that the cable networks that lost their identities were and I will start first with USA because when USA debuted it was a network that appealed to everyone with cartoons for kids sitcoms game show reruns movies and drama shows but once they grown out of the variety format they began focusing on appealing to a bigger audience which is why they had shows like Silk Stalkings The Big Easy that was based on the movie of the same name and with a format like this USA knew that dramas worked miracles instantly. And so they continued this with dramas like Suits and Monk but if you look at USA today they survive on marathons of NCIS Monk and other dramas and you'll find reality shows that have little appeal to an audience now so is this the new image of USA? I think so very much. The second cable channel that has lost it's identity is Hallmark Channel and when it first came out Hallmark Channel was originally a family oriented channel and would show family oriented shows and amazing stuff but once they added reruns of Walker Texas Ranger Frasier Cheers and many other classic shows you could tell that Hallmark Channel was changing it's image and if you watch Hallmark Channel today you'll see that their main success is original movies and you would think that since Hallmark Cards has it's name in the network they should also air Hallmark Hall Of Fame movies too but they don't and that is a real shame
Bestie

[renasmith]

The cable TV landscape has changed dramatically over the past few decades. With the rise of streaming services and online video platforms, the traditional cable TV model has been disrupted, leading to a loss of identity for many cable TV channels.

One of the main reasons for this loss of identity is the sheer number of channels available to viewers. In the early days of cable TV, there were only a handful of channels available, each with a distinct identity and programming focus. However, as the number of channels grew, it became more difficult for each channel to stand out and differentiate itself from the others.

Another factor is the rise of reality TV and other low-cost programming. Many cable TV channels have turned to reality TV and other unscripted programming as a way to fill their schedules without spending as much money on original content. However, this has led to a homogenization of programming across many channels, as they all compete for the same audience with similar types of shows.

Additionally, the fragmentation of the viewing audience has made it difficult for any one channel to appeal to a wide swath of viewers. With so many options available, viewers are more likely to watch specific shows or genres rather than tuning in to a particular channel.

Finally, the rise of streaming services has further eroded the identity of cable TV channels. With so many shows available on demand, viewers no longer have to rely on a particular channel for their entertainment. This has led to a decline in ratings for many cable TV channels and a further dilution of their identity.

Overall, the loss of identity for cable TV channels is a complex issue that is driven by a variety of factors, including the sheer number of channels available, the rise of low-cost programming, the fragmentation of the viewing audience, and the competition from streaming services.