More to see, less to watch.

Some thoughts…

"Television's magnetic hold on us…" is facing competition.

The traditional business model for television is threatened by the internet.

Viewers that at first gravitated towards the speciality networks (and away from the traditional networks and local channels) did so on the promise of a steady stream of themed programming 24/7. Food Network is always about food, etc.

As viewers become spoiled with the notion of always available content (to suit their interest) they will eventually turn to the internet for a richer experience. This in part may explain why advertisers are gravitating towards the internet: always on, always relevant and few gate keepers.

Advertisers don't have to negotiate with a broadcaster to associate themselves with quality programming – they just need to go out and produce it themselves.

http://www.abercrombie.com/anf/lifestyles/html/homepage.html
(Click on A&FTV for an example).

Eventually viewers may rely on traditional television for quality sports and entertainment (high definition of course) and the internet for everything else. One-stop channels organized by interest, religion, etc. will flourish on the internet.

In the not to distant future, instead of a phone call from my mother telling me what i missed on Oprah – she will email me the link to download (for a fee or with advertising) Oprah's best ever episode…