• BusinessWeek, Friday, April 24, 2009 9:30 AM

Many network bosses seem to understand that they have reached an inflection point and that the industry's business model has got to change. As a result, we can expect that network television will look very different five years from now.

The prime-time period likely will be shorter, programs will be tailored to audiences, and increasingly, advertisers will show up in the programs instead of just the commercials. Even more radical, say industry insiders: Networks may turn over programming to outsiders some nights or let local stations provide their own shows on certain evenings.

To save money, NBC already shares its "Friday Night Lights" programming with DirecTV, which jointly finances production of the football programming but airs it on DirecTV's own Channel 101 before it airs on NBC. Eventually, networks will also give back to their affiliates the 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. time slot. TV networks will also start to look more like cable channels that have built audiences based on shows that cater to specific groups, such as Bravo's women-centric offerings and the testosterone-laced Spike TV programming.

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