EVEN IN TELEVISION PREMIERE WEEK 2011-2012, REPEATS ARE BROADCAST...........

During the past several seasons the broadcast television networks of ABC, CBS, NBC, in the United States, have all but abandoned fresh, first run, prime-time, programming on Saturday nights, replacing it with reruns of programs that have previously aired earlier in the week.  Network news magazines may be new, but the remainder of Saturday night primetime, is predictably repeats of episodes seen and liked, or missed, earlier that week.  Historically, Saturday night is the lowest night of viewership, and thus ratings, especially in recent decades.  What once was a bonus field of popular programming from, "Sid Caesar's Show of Shows", to the, "Andy Williams Show", "Lawrence Welk",  "Hollywood Palace", "Love Boat", "Fantasy Island";  "The Carol Burnett Show", "All in the Family", "M.A.S.H,, "Mary Tyler Moore Show", and. "Bob Newhart Show", have all aired on Saturday nights, to big viewership, and large ratings, on all three broadcast networks.  But with fewer than ever viewers and ratings, the onslaught of cable, satellite, dvd, video, and internet, alternatives for home viewing, thus a substantial decline in adverstising revenu;, repeat programming has for the most part, become, the Saturday night,  television network norm.  And this week, for the first time in this television fan's avid memory, that practice has been extended to Friday night, as well.  Last night, on ABC, CBS, and NBC, only one of the three broadcast networks, CBS, aired a full three hours of premiere and season priemeres programming, with the new series, "A Gifted Man", and new season starts of, "CSI:NY", and "Blue Bloods", being broadcast.  ABC, reaired Wednesday night's one hour season premiere of it's third season, multiple Emmy winning, comedy series, "Modern Family", and Wednesday night's premiere. of the new drama, "Revenge".  Only the last hour of primetime's programming, a new edition of ABC News 20-20, their fabled thirty three year, newsmagazine, was fresh ABC programming.  This from the network with previous year hits such as, Gillette's Friday Night Fights", "The Flintstones", "The Brady Bunch", and "The Partridge Family",  in the 1950's '60's, and '70's.  NBC, repeated the new comedies "Up All Night", and "Whitney", even though "Up All Night", had already aired twice this week, on Sunday after NFL Football, and in its scheduled slot, on Wednesday night.  "Whitney'', premiered on Thursday night, so was being aired again, just one night later.  That hour of repeats, was followed by a two hour, fresh offering, of, "Dateline - NBC", another newsmagazine show.  NBC in the 1960's and '70's aired such as, "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", and, "Sanford And Son", both which succeeded in bringing down their pop culure favorites, other network competitors, "The Milton Berle Show", and, "The Brady Bunch".  As a television fan, and as someone who presently is inordinately housebound, it is sad to know that two nights of primetime television are now altered from pure first run to rerun, nights.  This means CBS will get my Friday night viewership, maintaining it's 1970's and '80's Friday night supremacy, when they aired, "Dallas", and, "Falcon Crest", in primetime...........Fr.  Troy