That noise you just heard? It was the sound of thousands of remote controls simultaneously turning their associated TV sets off.

The most recent ratings books came out in October of 1999. The results were frightening for American network executives. Not one prime time program managed to pull ratings numbers over 10. That means that at no point over the month of September did any one program grab more than 10 percent of American viewers. These numbers also mirror a trend noted over the past three years in television viewership. Overall TV viewing has been in decline since the spring of 1998, when Seinfeld's last episode marked the end of loyalty to prime time network programming.

There are many reasons for this decline in TV's popularity. In both Canada and the US, a wide array of channels, which are fragmented to appeal to the most minute target audience, have driven viewers away from conventional networks. Increased availability of movies and pay-per-view events via satellite has also had an effect. But most notably, the World Wide Web is having a serious impact on TV viewership, both in terms of the numbers choosing the web over TV, and in the way in which the average viewer now utilizes TV.

As the World Wide Web becomes more a part of our everyday lives, its infinite possibilities have been pulling viewers away from televisions to their computers. Putting the two side by side, it's not hard to see why. Television represents a static medium where the viewer must wait for a preassigned date and time to watch their chosen programming. The web is a dynamic medium, where not only can the viewer view programming when it is convenient for them, they can have it customized to suit their needs and interests.

The web's speed and constant refresh rate have also forced TV to change the way its programs provide information. It is now no longer enough to offer news at 6 and 11 o'clock - news must now be updated on a constant basis, stock quotes must be available on a 24-hour basis to keep up with those who trade online. Even the stars of TV programs have felt this effect, as fans of their programs establish web sites where the smallest details of their favourite shows are discussed. Therefore, what begins as a 30-minute TV program can take on another life as it circulates through the web. The Web has the ability to adapt to these demands from its viewers, where television can only provide linear content according to a fixed schedule.

Further evidence of TV's decline can be found in the preference of computers, and therefore the web, by children versus television. A poll of children under 12 taken in 1998 asked if they would rather give up their computer or their TV. Nearly 75% of respondents chose the TV. This would indicate that a new generation of viewers is turning to the wide range of possibilities open to them on a computer. Computer-literate kids know that you can't find the latest cheats for Resident Evil 3 on TV, and that you can't send e-mail to Grandma on Channel 6. For the first time in approximately 40 years, TV is not being used as the electronic babysitter. This will have the effect of corroding the potential TV viewing audience of the future.

TV is fighting back by making efforts to bring the two worlds together, resulting in the last great buzzword of the millennium - convergence. Cable companies are aggressively marketing their high-speed internet services, and the main networks are now offering 'enhanced TV' services, particularly in their sports coverage. Web TV, a service which uses a conventional TV as a monitor for a web browser, is now available but is slow in making inroads in the consumer market. Manufacturers of gaming consoles are now integrating their games with web sites that can be accessed over a TV. Though the signs are not promising for the continued existence of television as we have known it, initial steps are being taken by the industry to adapt.

Their efforts, however, may be too little too late. The web continues to advance, both in terms of content and convenience, at a rate that television simply cannot compete with. This represents a shift away from the most powerful communications medium in today's world. The potential result - fewer people staring at a TV, and more staring at another kind of monitor. Granted, this is not the most reassuring message to take away from this article. However, like other famous TV events such as the JFK assassination or the space shuttle disaster, it is interesting to make a note and remember where you were when a powerful force passed away.

Where were you when television died?

by Michael Monita