Television Ratings Decline

The Nielsen media research set top box is the system that determines the viewer ship of each show on television. Last weeks ratings were at a drastic low. CBS and ABC scored their lowest ratings in twenty years within the all-important 18-49 demographic. The summer schedule that features reruns and a few original alternatives is proving to be less than lucrative for the networks. Ratings are the way that the networks make their money, they sell their highest-rated show's time to feature advertisements to the highest bidder. NBC came out on top with the highest rated shows in the 18-49 demo, "America's Got Talent" and "Dateline." The current summer season is proving to drive couch potatoes full speed from their couches. Is it the uneventful programming or is something else? With returning shows premiering new episodes such as "Kyle XY" and "Entourage" it still has not helped to secure a good footing for the ratings. Is the reason behind the ratings slump the increase in television shows available to stream on-demand online? If there is not an answer to this continuous ratings drop the television industry will have to be redesigned.