Why are there so many poor quality shows on television?

Answer 1

"Good" or "Bad" programming in highly subjective but the simplest answer is the shows that are on TV are there because they receive large or high enough viewership numbers to be on the air.

Higher viewership numbers equal more profit from commercial revenue for the networks that air them, whether the shows are 'good' or 'bad' is irrelevant to them.

Answer 2

There are far too many poor quality broadcasts. There are many reasons but three of them stand out.

First, the sales pitch by premium television suppliers (cable and satellite services in particular) are seeking to have more channels than their competitors. More channels demands more and more content. As the number of shows being produced increases, producers need to dig deeper into the pool of actors, directors and crew to make them. They create opportunities for second and third tier people to make television.

Next, the ever expanding channels does not translate into ever expanding viewers. In fact, it's quite the opposite with people using computers and internet to find entertainment and video based content. In most cases, the content is funded by advertising revenue. Advertisers are unwilling to invest large sums into channels that are watched by low numbers of viewers. The financial pressure for low cost content is created by low viewer numbers.

Finally, broadcasters think they can get away with flooding the airwaves with garbage. And perhaps they have a good point because there are people who watch it, however poor. If we, as a world of viewers, refuse to watch contrived reality shows, Game Shows without any point and sitcoms that have copied Friends yet again, then the broadcasters may re-think their "more channels at any cost" policy and begin to deliver better quality.