What A Difference A Decade Makes

[Commentary] The worst economic downturn since the Great Depression had the greatest impact on the television station business over the first decade of this century. But a number of other events and developments are changing the market. 1) Retransmission consent payments. 2) Moving programming online. 3) Monday Night Football's move to ESPN. 4) Oprah's announcement that she's ending her syndicated show. 5) The increased use of digital video recorders. 6) Some show called American Idol. 7) The transition to all-digital television broadcasting. 8) The diminishing threat of networks buying all of their affiliates. 9) The merger of WB and UPN.