Will the Tony Awards renew their contract with CBS?- Page 2

[John Adams]

Will the Tony Awards renew their contract with CBS?#25

Posted: 4/24/26 at 1:56pm

sinister teashop said: "I do think though that the networks still do matter to an older demographic that votes in elections so it still has value as a political market. But that is probably decreasing even in that value each year."

You are absolutely correct about that, I feel. (You certainly capture me in that net!)

But even me, living within that demographic, understand that what The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) protected as the right of consumers to receive a) for free, b) over-the-air broadcast television signal, and c) without any subscription fees, is to my great nostalgic sadness - possibly a thing of the past.

I do feel that options other than a YouTube company could (should?) be included in the debate - e.g., the impending ATSC 3.0 standard for OTA TV,  as it would still keep ceremonies like The Oscars, The Tonys, et.al. free from "corporate overlords" and potential hyper-monitization. 

Granted, when the ATSC 3.0 standard gets fully implemented (February 2028, and the remainder by February 2030), some folks will need to purchase new TVs, but in balance, that's what I prefer. Your mileage may vary.

FYI: I'm not saying that awards ceremonies like The Tonys and The Oscars have to be OTA broadcasts - that's just my preference. IMO, stuff like that should be thought of as "free to all" viewing.

Updated On: 4/24/26 at 01:56 PM