I can understand that the writers want to correct the mistake
that they made 25 years ago. But in the big picture they're
chasing after a slice of a disappearing pie.

The broadcast networks and the cable channels are all dead
men walking. It's matter of when, not if. The current
television model is based on a scarcity of the past, one
that is currently maintained artificially. Shennanigans
on the part of the telecom companies will delay things,
but eventually it will be obvious to everyone that the
necessary resouces are abundant.

Soon people will have a pipe delivering tens or even hundreds
of Mbs to their home. If I want to watch "Wild Rutabagas",
why do I need purchase a tier that includes The Root Vegetable
Channel and wait until Thursday at 8pm? Why do I need a
television service at all? I can have Wild Rutabagas streamed
to my home entertainment processor directly from its producer's
server whenever I want. How this will be underwritten by
sponsors and advertisers will need to be worked out.

One consequence will be rise of niche programming. The so-called
mainstream will evaporate. Mass media stars will be almost
non-existant. It won't be possible to manufacture them anymore.
Pop queens and boy bands might actually have to have talent to
become famous.

They may be crude compared to what we'll have in ten years,
but Youtube and lonelygirl15 point the way to the future.
Writers will be dealing directly with producers, advertisers,
and maybe even consumers at that point. Any deal they make
now with existing broadcasters will be moot.