Why President Trump is unlikely to launch Trump TV after leaving office

Los Angeles Times

"Trump’s potency as a TV attraction has been proved by the ratings performance of cable news networks, which have covered his presidency as a saga unfolding in real time with volatility, surprises and a large cast of characters," explains the Los Angeles Times' Stephen Battaglio. "Audience levels for CNN, Fox News and MSNBC have risen since Trump officially entered his first presidential race in 2015 and reached record levels this year. But launching a cable network with Trump’s name — an idea floated four years ago — would be a difficult climb in the TV landscape, where consumers have shifted away from pay TV subscriptions. As the universe of traditional pay TV customers slowly but steadily diminishes, getting operators to pay a license fee to carry a new channel would be a major challenge." As one analyst put it: “There’s no way you can start a new network in this environment."