And I bet there was never a time when you preferred Jerry Springer to Oprah.
I understand where you are coming from, you are talking about what
you find pleasant to watch, but respectful discussion simply does not attract as many viewers as emotionally-charged drama, with people yelling at each other. And you have to admit, Rosie can yell with the best of them!
When you consider that programs like The Bad Girls Club, Flavor of Love, and I Love New York broke records for their respective networks, and of course the now-famous battles and wheels and deals a couple of years ago when America, and especially Oprah, woke up one morning to discover that Jerry Springer was not only almost as popular, or even as popular, but had actually eclipsed her in the ratings! And of course, of all three news channels, Fox is a consistent winner, Bill O'Reilly and all!
What may constitute "good TV" to you, or to me, in terms of quality and appeal (though I confess watching all the shows I named, and enjoying them thoroughly)
, what is going to produce the most profitable bottom line is what "good TV" is, to the majority of the viewing public, and to the suits upstairs!