One of the biggest consequences of the Internet is the ratings drop for such shows as Las Vegas, the OC or even Desperate Housewives. If you add tv show downloads and the number of views on such web sites as Youtube or Dailymotion then the viewership for these shows proves to be even bigger than it used to be on TV. TV programs of the 90's like the tv show friends have lasted for a decade or more thanks to huge ads revenues due to large audiences. But today when people download tv shows they feel like it is more convenient because they can watch it whenever they want but they do not realize that they are cutting off the revenues of people who do the shows. Most important the producers can no longer do high budget programs because they cannot pay for all the expenses due to stagnant ads revenues.
That explains why reality tv shows are increasingly present on TV. A reality tv show is much cheaper to produce and can get as many viewers as tv series so it is much more profitable. So now tv networks and producers are looking for new ways to make money like selling tv theme song cds. The dvd sales of tv show is also a good way to generate profit and keep the tv business on. But it will not be enough unless tv executives find new ways to market their products. They need to see the internet as a great opportunity for them to expand their activities not as the enemy.
The tv show 24 whose sixth season marketing campaign has been widely lead over the internet has proved that it can even increase the viewership on traditional TV.