A generalist channel is a
television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
or
radio
Radio is the technology of communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 3 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmitter connec ...
channel whose target audience is not confined to a particular set of people, but instead aims to offer a wide range of programs and program genres to a diverse general public.
The term is mainly used in European countries; in other countries, similar terms such as "general entertainment" is used instead.
In radio, this is sometimes referred to as "full-format programming" or
full-service radio
Full-service radio is a type of radio format characterized by a mix of music programming and a large amount of locally-produced and hyperlocal programming, such as news and discussion focusing on local issues, news, sports coverage, interviews, cal ...
.
Program content
Generalist TV channels focus on general entertainment. They also tend to put an extra emphasis on news programming, regarding the provision of news and information as part of their duty.
Popularity
Generalist channels as a whole are the most watched of all television channels.
As of 2008, generalist channels were the most numerous among channel genres in Europe. There were 376 of them, followed by 324 sports channels, 269 entertainment channels and 238 music channels.
Among HD television channels in Europe, as of 2011 and 2012, generalist channels were third most numerous, with the ones specializing in sport and movies coming out 1st and 2nd respectively.
A book published in 2010 cited a study saying that generalist television channels comprised 41 percent of global television market value and accounted for 70 percent of global television market volume.
With the growth in popularity of television, generalist channels such as
full service radio
Full-service radio is a type of radio format characterized by a mix of music programming and a large amount of locally-produced and hyperlocal programming, such as news and discussion focusing on local issues, news, sports coverage, interviews, cal ...
greatly declined in radio, and are now mostly limited to
public broadcasting
Public broadcasting (or public service broadcasting) is radio, television, and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service with a commitment to avoiding political and commercial influence. Public broadcasters receive f ...
stations. Generalist and full-service
multichannel television
A multichannel television service, also known as simply a television provider, is a type of service provider who distributes television programming to its customers for a subscription fee. Subscription television providers distribute television ...
channels have been the most heavily damaged by
cord-cutting
In broadcast television, cord-cutting refers to the pattern of viewers, referred to as cord-cutters, cancelling their subscriptions to multichannel television services available over cable or satellite, dropping pay television channels or reducing ...
and the shift to
streaming television
Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as films and television series, streamed over the Internet. Standing in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aerial systems, cable t ...
; in the United States, generalist channels such as
TNT
Troponin T (shortened TnT or TropT) is a part of the troponin complex, which are proteins integral to the contraction of skeletal and heart muscles. They are expressed in skeletal and cardiac myocytes. Troponin T binds to tropomyosin and helps ...
,
TBS and
USA have seen their viewership decline far more rapidly than the industry average, which itself has seen a sharp decline in subscriptions and viewership.
See also
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Blockbuster (entertainment)
A blockbuster is a work of entertainment—typically used to describe a feature film produced by a major film studios, but also other media—that is highly popular and financially successful. The term has also come to refer to any large-budget p ...
*
Broadcast television network
*
Ethnic media
Ethnic media is media fashioned with a particular ethnic minority group or ethnic minority community in mind.
Definition
Academic Yu Shi tenders an operational definition for ethnic media: “Ethnic media are often regarded as media ''by and fo ...
*
List of generalist television channels
References
{{reflist
Television terminology
Television genres