Have US cable tv documentary channels always had reality tv and "controversial" topics?
When I watched cable tv in the US in 2007, and while watching cable tv in Australia in 2015 (which is mainly made up of American channels), I noticed that a lot of the documentary channels (channels about history, science, nature, and the like) had a lot of shows that either
- Were reality tv in format, such as Ice Road Truckers and Deadliest Catch.
- Were about "controversial" topics (I'm not saying "Ancient Aliens", but "Ancient Aliens")
Have US cable tv documentary channels always been like this? If not, what caused the change?
Best Answer
According to the dubious Wikipedia on the History Channel:
It originally broadcast documentary programs and historical fiction series. However, since 2008, it has mostly broadcast a variety of reality television series such as Pawn Stars, Ax Men, and other non-history related content. Additionally, the network is frequently criticized by scientists, historians, and skeptics for broadcasting pseudo-documentaries, unsubstantiated and sensational investigative programming, such as Ancient Aliens, UFO Hunters, Brad Meltzer's Decoded and the Nostradamus Effect.
Pictures about "Have US cable tv documentary channels always had reality tv and "controversial" topics?"
What happened to the History Channel?
The long-running History channel is disappearing from our schedules - but will return as something much more exciting. The History channel is being rebranded as Sky HISTORY, and will be relaunching with several new documentaries featuring the likes of William Shatner, Jeff Daniels and many more.Which is the best documentary channel?
YouTube5 Documentary Channels on YouTube you can't miss!- Vice. With about 8 million subscribers, Vine has undoubtedly been audience's one of the best choices. ...
- National Geographic. A very well-known media network, Nat Geo has never failed to inspire people to care about the planet, Earth. ...
- BBC News. ...
- Real Stories. ...
- The Guardian.
How many US cable channels are there?
In 2017, there were 1,761 commercial television stations on the air in the United States, slightly fewer than in previous years but still over a thousand more than in 2000. Over one hundred TV stations were sold in the U.S. in 2017, and as of October 2018 almost 120 stations had been sold that year.What is Discovery Channel about?
"Discovery Channel, the second most widely distributed cable network in the U.S., is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement." It is an American satellite and Cable television channel focused on ...Top 10 Dumbest Reality TV Show Ideas
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