Given we all know there’s no free lunch, it may be hard for non-Boomers to believe there was a day when content came with no charge. We called it “free TV”. Or just “TV” since no one was charging anyone anywhere to watch television, assuming you had one. And most everyone did, many even possessing a “color television”, invented in the late 1940s, available in the 50s and a new standard in the 60s. Decades of improvement and options came next with cable, satellite and streaming to follow. Free was never part of the deal for any of that, but no worries. The big networks and your local stations were still around, even if generations X, Y and Z never knew. They were looking at their phone… only and always.
Digital content everywhere has been a life-changer and no one is retreating to the days of tinfoil antennas. What many did not see coming, however, was the eventual exit of free TV as at least an option. Will your local station cease to exist? No, but what it offers and what the networks pass through “free” has already changed for good.
Content is King
Consider the 2025 EMMY Nominations. The traditional alphabet networks were not shutout, but the streaming providers won the nominee race by a mile, and no doubt, will collect the most gold statues at the 77th Emmy Awards on September 14th. Not new, but ironically, the streamers once again will have their shining moment on free TV via CBS. Of course, for good measure CBS also will stream the program in case you’d rather pay to watch. This dual platform approach is now SOP for all of the traditional broadcast networks. If it’s big content, let’s broadcast and stream. If it’s exclusive first run content, maybe we only stream it.
The question is if/when do the networks shift the few and final crown jewels to be seen only behind the paywall that is streaming and steaming ahead. The big ticket and big dollar content is live sports. Specifically, football is the holy grail of content and at the top of the treasure chest rests the NFL. Take away a guy’s option to watch the NFL on “regular TV” and there will be friction. Raise Cain and call your congressman. Of course, they’ve already done that with certain NFL games on certain nights. Even an NFL playoff game or two has been offered on streaming only. But they’d never go beyond that, and schedule most, or heaven forbid, all games behind a streaming paywall… right? Maybe just the Super Bowl. We could live with that?
For their part, broadcast owners are getting ready to shuffle the deck when the current FCC finally approves deregulation. Combo stations, staff reductions and less localism appear inevitable. No question, more change is coming to your TV… or tablet. Your local station and home of free TV is challenged on all fronts.
Free is Still Free
Unless you live in a deep valley or otherwise sight line obstructed locale, often the very best picture one can view is the broadcast signal from a local TV station. It’s crisp HD and broadcasters are working to make it interactive. Best of all, it’s free TV. Oh… if you’ve already cut the cable/satellite cord, you might need an antenna and that could cost a couple of bucks. Then again, it’s not about the signal. It’s the content, silly. Who needs free. https://truflexmedia.com/
