• USA Today, Thursday, June 17, 2010 11:48 PM

Once defined by clear content niches, many cable TV networks are scrambling to broaden their audiences by reaching beyond their original mission. Some are shedding entire identities, others are overhauling formats, and many are sprinkling traditional lineups with reality, food, dramas and comedies - popular genres that viewers are accustomed to seeing on rival cable and broadcast networks.

Overall viewership and the time people spend in front of the tube is rising. Forget about brand purity; it's all about the chase for eyeballs. In the clamor for viewers and advertisers, cablers "have come to the realization that some channels have built-in limits, so they've taken elements that have made other networks successful and crossed them with their core brands," says Tim Brooks, a former TV executive and author of "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows."

Mixing formats and matching those of rival channels has become so pervasive on cable TV that it's becoming difficult to distinguish some networks from each other, media industry analyst Shari Anne Brill says.

Read the whole story at USA Today »