• by George Simpson , Featured Contributor, November 8, 2018

Perhaps the only thing more disorienting than watching the White House media relations operation dissolve into a pit of vipers and rabid dogs is reading about yet more video platforms spewing out more content or "programming," hoping to catch the pocket change that falls into the sofa cushions when either Facebook or Google sit down for a rest.

Not a day goes by when there is not another announcement about new content (in various lengths and chapters) planned so that some platform can somehow capitalize on the trend away from expensive cable or satellite-delivered linear TV and toward walking into a light pole while watching video on your phone.

Am I the only person who thinks there is enough good content already out there to consume all your waking hours from now until you pass to your great reward? 

On my DVR, I have backlogged so many hours of favorite prime-time shows and series from premium channels that I may never catch up. I may just delete them to make room for more. This doesn't even count the constant flow of shows from Netflix, Amazon Prime and Hulu that have my name on them.  

Now, if I were not killing nearly every night and virtually all day Saturday and Sunday watching college football, basketball and the news, I might be able to put a dent in my backlog, but the bowl games lead right into March Madness, so I see no light at the end of this tunnel.

But seriously, I think the last thing we need are more reasons not to read, talk to one another or ride a bike.

It was not so long ago we all agreed there was "nothing good to watch on TV." But then cable happened, then premium cable, then OTT -- and now, programming made for specific platforms that do not in any way involve your 55-inch flat panel. 

It seems media and telcos won't be happy until you are glued to a video 24/7. And with that will come advertising, which will be impossible to cross-device frequency cap, so you will see the same ads over and over and over, until you are feeling like hammering your device with a shoe.

There is some recognition that there are limits to what folks will commit to. Remember when a "season" was 13 shows? No more. But when they stack up unwatched kinda like magazines, they suffer the same fate: into the trash, and the reconsideration of why you are paying for stuff you don't seem to read (or watch) anymore.

I suspect there have been plenty of good shows on network TV that were canceled not because audiences didn't like them, but because viewers were too exhausted to keep tuning in.

Yes, even couch potatoes can go bad.