Television Stations Gone Broke

What is income? Money coming in obviously. It can be weekly wages or end of the month salaries. Some get paid by the hour, when work is available. It might not tomorrow.

The government can give you some sort of income for disability, kids, pension or emergencies like pandemic money, but there’s tax on it. Millions of Canadians had a rude awakening when they did their taxes this year. Income was ‘high’ because of COVID-19 money and they had to pay the government back.

Others, mainly seniors had their normal benefits drastically cut, because COVID-19 money they got in 2020-2021 shot up the ‘income.’ They are therefore ‘rich’ on paper and not in reality. That’s the government way, give with the right hand, claw back with the left.

Television stations are also experiencing a cut in income. Before the internet, advertisers used to buy ‘air time’ and they wanted crowds. That is why big sports events like SuperBowl and NBA Finals put substantial cash in T.V. station’s pockets.

Television stations also attracted crowds with movies. They’ll catch a movie on telly if they don’t feel like driving through slush and snow to the cinema. Not anymore. There are old free movies on the internet, who needs T.V?  Netflix still carries exclusive movies you pay for.

The movie industry used to have a formula: movies open in theatres, then video/DVD then television. Is this sequence right? Never mind. The point is that the internet changed the rules of the game. Consequently, the income also changed hands, to YouTube movie producers with half a million or more followers.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.