Are Soap opera's dying?: As the world turns gets cancelled

Yesterday (Dec.8th)  CBS announced that in September 2010 that the soap 'As the world turns' is ending the show is a daytime soap opera  the show has been running on CBS since April 2nd 1956. This is CBS's second cancellation of a soap this year after 'Guiding light' was canceled in April of this year and ended in September. CBS replaced that slot with a new version of the game show 'Let's Make a deal'. To wonder what CBS will do with the slot mostly likely will not be a new soap opera. What does this mean to the soaps as a whole  NBC has only 1 'Days of our Lives' and after September 2010 unless more cancellations happen CBS will have 2 'The Young and the Restless' and the 30 minute soap 'The Bold and the Beautiful' . ABC has only 3 soaps 'Genral Hospital', 'One Life to Live' and 'All my Children'. Though the Proctor and Gamble which produces  the show says there are actively looking for another venue for the show. ABC says they will remain committed to Soaps. But the question is Are Soaps dying off? Many can point to what's happening and say yes it they are. Soap Ratings have been going down in the past decade. Like now the Highest rated Soap 'Young and the Restless' is at 3.5 million viewers as of last week  in the 1999-2000 THE leading soap was 'Young and the Restless at 6.8 million viewers. and in 1979-1980 season the leading soap was 'General Hospital' at 9.9 million viewers. Also no new soaps were made or have premiered at least on American Broadcast TV since 1999 and NBC's 'Passions'  which ran on NBC from (1999-2006) then moved to Direct TV  from (2006-2008).  And replaced with Local  Programming due to the addition of a 4th our of the 'Today Show'. While Competition in local markets are local newscasts and Syndicated daytime programming  which many FOX, CW,MY NETWORK TV AND non affiliated channels buy up instead of network tv programs.  But As  antoher soap falls well see what CBS does. They could add a talk show , give it to local channels , a new soap opera which seems the most unlikely to happen, a game show, or something else. More to Come on this story in our Are Soap Opera's dying series.

 

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