More channels than creative, watchable minutes

Television...oh, how it's changed since I was a kid. When I was a kid, we had 7 channels to choose from that we had to tune into with a rotary dial and hope the antenna on the roof brought them in clearly. Amazingly, there was always something good/interesting on. Over 400 channels now...and most times it's a challenge to find something watchable.
Back then, we had Julia Child and the Galloping Gourmet (Graham Kerr). 2 chefs were more than sufficient back then! Now there's an entire network of "chefs" doing what's been done 1000 times over, as well as a buttload of chef shows on other networks...yet people watch. And the Golf Channel...seriously? Has there ever been a "sport" that has been more boring to watch than golf? I don't golf, and I'm sure those that do enjoy it...but to actually WATCH it?!?!? Middle aged guys and gals walking around hitting a little ball...oh, how exciting!
Half of network TV is "reality" programs. Yeah...like the Bachelorette is "reality"! 45% is versions of Law & Order, CSI & NCIS. The other 5% is actually different programs...most ripoffs of previous programs or movies, but a few scattered good, original shows. And now we have to actually pay to watch TV, while there are still too many annoying commercials that pay the networks even though we're paying to watch. There's something dreadfully wrong here!
It's sad to me that the creativity and originality of TV that we used to enjoy back then has gone away in favor of commercial crap...and I don't necessarily blame the networks, but I do blame the viewing public who keeps the majority of the crap on the air. Why, oh why does the viewing public keep watching the crap and therefore keep the crap on the air? I guess back then since there were so few networks the shows had to have something to attract viewers to keep on the air, whereas now there are so many networks that they will keep anything on the air as long as 3 or more people are watching.
Back then I had to watch maybe 20 hours of TV a week (I mean shows I really wanted to watch). Now It's less than 10...and of those 10 hours, half is just "watchable" rather than "I have to watch it". Oh, give me back my rabbit ears and family time watching shows together! Sigh!