Commander Tansin A. Darcos wrote:

Back in 1961, Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton R. Minnow gave his first speech as chairman, to the National Association of Broadcasters, in which he said that television was "A Vast Wasteland." This was back before we had 24-hour news and cable (and satellite) TV giving us potentially more than 100 channels to choose from, and yet we can look back almost 60 years and see how little has changed:

Newton R. Minnow wrote:

     When television is good, nothing — not the theater, not the magazines or newspapers — nothing is better.

     But when television is bad, nothing is worse. I invite each of you to sit down in front of your television set when your station goes on the air and stay there, for a day, without a book, without a magazine, without a newspaper, without a profit and loss sheet or a rating book to distract you. Keep your eyes glued to that set until the station signs off. I can assure you that what you will observe is a vast wasteland.

     You will see a procession of game shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, western bad men, western good men, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons. And endlessly, commercials — many screaming, cajoling, and offending. And most of all, boredom. True, you’ll see a few things you will enjoy. But they will be very, very few. And if you think I exaggerate, I only ask you to try it.

So I don't think Television has gone to the dogs. i don't think it has ever left the kennel.