> I think the main driver of this is simply the changing demographics of TV viewers. Ever since the rise of the Internet, social media, and smartphones, traditional television viewing hours have been plummeting for some demographics.
No. This trend predates the full development of most of that. IIRC, TLC ("The Learning Channel") went from educational stuff (like videos of surgeries) to full-on home improvement over the course of the 90s. The internet in 1999 was GeoCities and email, not social media and smartphones.
What really happened was these channels started out programming to a little niche audience, then they realized there was a lot more ratings and money programming to the lowest common denominator. In TLC's case, I think it started with some husband and wife home improvement show and snowballed from there.
No. This trend predates the full development of most of that. IIRC, TLC ("The Learning Channel") went from educational stuff (like videos of surgeries) to full-on home improvement over the course of the 90s. The internet in 1999 was GeoCities and email, not social media and smartphones.
What really happened was these channels started out programming to a little niche audience, then they realized there was a lot more ratings and money programming to the lowest common denominator. In TLC's case, I think it started with some husband and wife home improvement show and snowballed from there.