Using data from Nielsen Media Research, Jack Wakshlag, head of research for Time Warner's (TWX) Turner Broadcasting System, showed that TV viewership has been growing and not declining. Of course he picked the data that showed the best side of the Turner stations. But it still reflects a reality that we occasionally get into at bizofshowbiz.
First of all, dating from 2001, TV viewing has grown by 8% as a whole. When you divide that into five years, it's barely over a 1% growth rate. All that growth is connected to the cable stations.
Concerning CBS (CBS-A), News Corp.'s (NWS) Fox, General Electric's (GE) NBC and the Walt Disney Co.'s (DIS) ABC networks, the news isn't good. Five years ago, viewers watched a total of 11.1 hours a week, while now it's down to 9.6 on the 
big four.
Citing the data from Nielsen, Wakshlag boasted on how the five top sitcoms on cable were connected to TBS. The problem is, like we said last post, is that they are dropping in viewers extremely fast also; about half as many as last year.
The issue has never really been whether the Television will be important as a tool, it will remain to be so. The two huge changes are where the content comes from, and the continuing fragmentation of the marketplace.
I don't think anybody that follows the industry thinks that tv shows will disappear. What's changing is the number of viewers. Fragmentation is going to continually put pressure on the "mass" of mass media. That world no longer exists. It really hasn't since cable came and began the fragmentation process.
If someone wants to take TV as a whole, and say viewing is increasing across all programming, I would agree with that. But when you take a few shows out of the mix, what's the real state of what's going on? That's the bottom line in all of it.
Fragmentation of the industry has already begun, and will continue on without a doubt. Just like with the movies, there will always be some huge hit that captures the imagination of the masses and will draw some big numbers. But those big numbers that come from only a couple of sources a year aren't what determines the health of the overall industry.
The TV box will be increasingly important, but not necessarily the networks. We really haven't even started into what creative people will offer as online channels yet. When that happens is when we'll see the old TV industry start to disappear as far as ratings go, even as measured today.
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