I think the closest analog to the current state you are talking about was: 1. VHS 2. Cable TV And the second one, in particular, had a similar feel to it (fo

I think the closest analog to the current state you are talking about was: 1. VHS 2. Cable TV And the second one, in particular, had a similar feel to it (for the time). It induced this endless grazing behavior where you kept switching between channels hoping for the next best show. And those advertisements meant you would start grazing again every 15 min. I am sure cable destroyed many budding talents, but it somehow wasn't enough to extinguish everyone who saw that blinking cursor.