For the biggest of the mass media, network television, messages must have very broad appeal to attract the millions of viewers that the networks need in order to sell profitable advertising time. The Super Bowl is such a widely popular event that the cost of advertising is extremely expensive: in 2014, a thirty-second commercial during the Super Bowl cost on average $4 million. But prime-time network TV (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, and CW) requires programming that attracts a very large audience on a regular basis. The traditional way for networks to capture broad audiences has been to rely on content that is often described as low culture—entertainment that appeals to most people’s baser instincts, typified by lurid, sensational images and news stories charged with sex, violence, scandal, and abuse (Berger, 2007). In addition, the networks have relied on programming that doesn’t require a great deal of thought or cultural sophistication, leading critics to echo the sentiments of former Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chairman Newton Minow when, in 1961, he first called commercial television a “vast wasteland” (Minow, 1961; Minow & Cate, 2003).

But, wait, you say: there are a lot of popular shows on television right now that are intellectually stimulating, well written, and impressively produced. Scholars agree. Jason Mittel (2006), for example, makes the case that the landscape of television during the last twenty years has actually gotten “smarter.” He notes that, although there is much popular content on TV that remains highly conventional, the past two decades have seen a huge increase in critically acclaimed and popular TV shows with narrative complexity—complicated plots and connections between characters, a blurring of reality and fantasy, and time that is not always linear or chronological. Beginning with innovative shows like The X-Files (1993–2002) and Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003) and continuing with programs like 24 (2001–2010; restarted in 2014), Doctor Who (since 2005), and Game of Thrones (since 2011), intricate plots, subplots, and “story arcs” weave between stand-alone episodes and continuous serial storytelling (Mittel, 2006). Many of these shows give you a cognitive “workout” because you must think carefully to make sense of what is happening (Johnson, 2005).

What spurred this trend? The explosion of media choices—through cable channels, DVDs, and now online streaming—has allowed audiences to become more demanding, and there is money to be made in meeting that demand (Johnson, 2005). Many of these are hit shows, after all. But even without major hits, uniquely appealing shows are possible because of another major industry trend. Narrowcasting (also called niche marketing) is the process of targeting narrower, more specific audiences. With the diverse array of specialty media outlets, media industries can tap into multiple groups of viewers that, although smaller, are loyal and often passionate audiences (Mittel, 2006). For example, streaming services like Netflix enable shows to generate a loyal fan base. Viewers can watch their favorites repeatedly or “binge” watch—meaning to view episode after episode in one sitting. Fans can also provide reviews or discuss show content online with others. It takes a unique show to withstand this level of viewer scrutiny (Gay, 2014).

Niche programming is also increasingly possible because of sources of revenue besides traditional advertising. Networks can feature advertisers’ products within the shows themselves, of course, but even more income is being raised in deals made with international broadcasters and with streaming services like Hulu (Adalian, 2013). Thus, although it’s not surprising that a megahit like Fox’s American Idol (with an average of twelve million viewers each week) pulls in solid advertising revenue (Faughnder, 2014), shows with smaller, dedicated audiences (like FX’s Justified and PBS’s British import Sherlock, both with just about four million viewers each episode) can still be profitable (Kissell, 2014).

Of course, narrowcasting doesn’t necessarily result in more intellectually demanding or sophisticated content. Many specialty cable channels (such as the youth-oriented MTV) have plenty of low-culture programming (Teen Mom perhaps?). But the fact that audiences are now spread across a wide spectrum of specialized entertainment choices (Stelter, 2011) means that the media industries must capitalize on the opportunities presented by digital technologies in order to remain profitable in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.