3 Cable Channels That Lost Their Way

Remember when MTV played music? When TLC programs were actually about learnin' stuff? When people had to be knowledgeable and creative to get a show on the air?

MTV

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The Golden Age of the music video! Music Television came to be in 1981 with "Video Killed the Radio Star" by The Buggles...

These folks were the first VJs on MTV. Where are they today? Co-managing an Orange Julius stand in Reading, PA.

Once known for cutting edge music and showcasing up-and-coming artists, these days an average night on MTV looks more like this...

The drunken exploits of some tanned folk who live near a beach in a state close to New York. Or....

.... this. Pregnant kids.

TLC

Founded in 1972 by the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare and NASA, what we know now as TLC was meant as an informative/instructional network focused on providing real education through the medium of TV (See Wikipedia for more). Anyone remember "Ready, Set, Learn", "Cable in the Classroom", or "Paleoworld"? It was determined in the late 90's to early 2000's that most viewers have the attention span of a rhesus monkey on crack... with ADD. So what once was....

.... is now....

Honey Boo Boo

The History Channel

Another channel that was once rich with informative, educational programming presented in an interesting, entertaining way. Wanna learn about how the country was founded? Got that. Wanna get a glimpse into the history of warfare? Got that. Wanna hear all about how aliens created the Ark of the Covenant? Got that, too. Yeah. It was originally a Dalek coffee table.

Remember the Alamo? Everyone in Texas does.That last stand took immense bravery and heart.There was a time when you could see shows like this everyday. Nowadays, though, they focus much less on history about white people and more on....

... white people shootin' things and buyin' stuff.

Next Time....

Overprivileged women yelling at each other.