Are the free-to-air networks out of touch with what you want?

Summer television. It’s like a week-old loaf of bread.  Stale.  That is unless you are into sport or one of the many that are turning away from broadcast television and streaming content via Stan or Netflix.

The one thing that they do love to do during the “non-ratings” period is promo the shows that will be coming to the networks as soon as the rating count again.  Why there is a period these days that still counts what you watch without counting what you watch is anyone’s guess.

It’s a bit of a catch-22, as Benedict Brook on news.com.au explains “For two weeks around Easter — and a whopping two months in summer — broadcasters mostly just give up. Their excuse? No one is watching.

So all the high-rating shows are held back, thus ensuring no one watches.”

It is the time of year that the networks tune out and stick on three versions of the same highway patrol show but from different parts of the years.  This means that while new shows are still being broadcasted in the US and the UK, Australians will have to wait.  Which also means that the perchance of illegally downloading these shows or having them spoiled for us is also great.

Streaming services such as Stan and Netflix also see this as an opportunity to get more audience by offering up fresh new content to audiences that are screaming for something that is the fourth movie in a franchise that should have stopped three movies ago like that is on network TV in prime time.

Does this show that the networks are grossly out of touch with viewers?  Or is this just how it is?  We would love your thoughts.