Is it just me or has anybody else noticed that we are being totally disrespected and taken for granted by CTV, Global and their holdings? Although I have never been a major fan of CBC, at least they are providing the only oasis of Canadian programming or for that matter new programming anywhere on the dial? That even they are slipping into American domination in a bid to be relevant... that and to meet their budget cut backs - American program dumping works very well in that regard with few complaints.

Our nights are populated with ONE drama followed by a "reality show" of some stripe - pick your channel its all the same. If we are lucky there might be a later drama at 10 PM to round it out but don't count on it. That and the drama is 9 times out of 10 a rerun!

What happened to the CRTC requirements for a specific amount of prime time dramatic programming? Has there been an official relaxing of the rules or have the networks just been sliding it in to see if anyone notices or even cares? Have we abandoned TV? Is it no longer relevant to anyone? I have noticed that my kids are more and more taking to the Internet because there is nothing on TV that they want to watch.

This really becomes a chicken and egg thing. The programming wasn't there due to various programming snafus - strikes etc., that kept putting off any serious amount of new programming for about three years now - that dribbled the audience away, then the networks noticed that the audiences weren't there to support their advertising revenues, so with ad revenues in the lurch they pull back on programming which further leads to the erosion of an audience who get really tired of "still nothing on".

Without someone being willing to build an audience with a properly developed show and to give it more than three weeks to grow where are we headed? Is the government as aware of these numbers as the networks and are they using this for their justification of pulling back on funding for training and marketing? That they perhaps, see no future in it? Especially if there is an, as yet unannounced, official policy in the works (would need a majority government to accomplish) to allow total American ownership of our networks!

Why is the programming focus being totally slanted toward teen viewers and ignoring the current largest block of demographics ever - the baby boomers? We still watch TV, disgusted as we are by a lack of fresh material - we are after all the TV generation. We totally prove the point that we opt for the least offensive programming - that is, lacking a program we want to watch we will cruise the offerings until we arrive at a program that is the most acceptable amongst the plethora of drek that is there.

Where is Marshall McLuhan when we need him? If the medium is the message... OY!! Not good news these days!