In cable, it’s survival of the fittest as channels drop from the bundle

It has been the worst year in recent memory for cable networks, with MSNBC, the History channel, Bravo, BET, USA Network and Comedy Central all seeing double-digit declines in audience in 2015. In March, cable ratings were down about 10 percent from the previous year. With new streaming services stealing away viewers, cable TV has been hit with a Darwinian shake-out where only the most popular networks, such as HBO and ESPN, are able to find paying customers.

The retrenchment marks a change in fortune for the cable TV business, which in the 1990s created new opportunities for minority programs, local news and niche educational networks with small but dedicated numbers of fans. The rise of cable created new genres in TV around food, health and reality shows, launching networks such as HGTV, the Weather Channel and TruTV. But with content similar to what those channels offer now available online, cable programs that cannot draw the biggest audiences are seeing advertising fall. And some cable operators are choosing to drop some of their offerings altogether.