I loved the Disney Channel back then when they were showing some classic cartoons. It has been mutilated by today's teen/tween shows since then. Nickelodeon was heading the same direction.
I'm not complaining much about ABC Family's schedule, because they air "America's Funniest Home Videos" and "Whose Line Is It Anyway?". By the time they show their originals, I usually watch something else in Primetime.
Cartoon Network promised they'd stay on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days, forever and ever and ever and ever and ever...until the end of time. THEY LIED!!! Or was the introduction of the Adult Swim block the end of time? I'm guessing they're trying to get the parents to put the kids to bed. Not that I was complaining back then, because I found a few more favorites on that particular block.
TV Land has shifted to a more current-based programming on 50% of their schedule. 'Nuff said.
Animal Planet has shifted direction to attracted a much older audience 18 and older with some of their much suspenseful programming. While Animal Planet is still within their prime format, there's one show on their schedule I could do without, and that's "I Shouldn't Be Alive". It's a show about survival and does not talk about animals, let alone involve them. They should've kept it on Discovery Channel or at least move it to TLC. Next thing you know, they're gonna air "Cheaters" on there as well. (Not really, but "Cheaters" on Animal Planet? NO WAY!!!
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I think the main reason for The Weather Channel, MTV, VH1, and CMT to go their current directions is because of the internet. But not everybody can afford the internet, let alone dial-up. Many have to use their local Public Library's internet system to do all that, but they have a limited window of 2 hours max...maybe a little more if nobody's waiting on/or reserved a computer (at least that's how my local library's system works).
Although truTV shows some programs that are reenactments to reality (like "Operation Repo" and a few others), the real reality shows on there I liked are "World's Dumbest" and "Disorder in the Court".
Bravo went from Arts & Performances to....the way MTV's going. I shouldn't say too much about it, because I have a friend who still likes Bravo even to this very day.
AMC was one of my favorite channels when they were airing classic movies and "The Three Stooges". Now they're airing movies, mostly from 2000 on-wards, original shows, and since last year, Paid Programming. It's just not the same!! Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is the only one holding true to its format, and I hope it stays that way.
Sci-Fi...now Syfy - Now I know they're trying to expand their horizons, but adding wrestling on there just ain't it. Not to mention some of the corniest current made-for-TV monster movies I've ever seen (via "The Soup").
I never really cared much for the C-SPANs, HSN, QVC, ShopNBC, Oxygen, The Golf Channel, and Lifetime.
All in all, cable TV has gone downhill for half the time, but sometimes, they may air a great TV show in my favor. There's also TV online if we want to go that direction. We also have cable companies like Time Warner Cable and Comcast going through with their digital migration processes. Once analog cable is wiped off completely, hotels that run TV service through cable TV may have no choice but to install digital cable converters in each room or switch back to using DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) as their source. We are often reminded by the said cable companies that there are more choices, but we have to pay out the wazoo for them.
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