NETWORK TV: STILL AMONG THE MASSES By ERIC SCHMUCKLE

For a business that's supposed to be going the way of the dinosaurs, network television is showing surprising resilience. Consider that profits are up among the

Not that the nets are home free. Last year’s ratings uptick proved to be an anomaly, just as agency forecasters had predicted (ratings are still slipping, but at a slower pace). Meanwhile, rival media continue to gain strength and new types are nearer to fruition. The industry also is threatened by the arcane issue of retransmission consent, a high-stakes game of chicken that pits broadcasters against cable companies and could disrupt the TV business and the advertisers who depend on it.
Yet network television remains the biggest game in town, and there seems to be renewed appreciation for that fact.