Channel ▁Rece iver ▁Act ▁of ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁that ▁U H F ▁broadcast ing ▁became ▁a ▁feas ible ▁medium . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s , ▁concurrent ▁with ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁color ▁television , ▁the ▁evolution ▁of ▁television ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁event ▁col lo qu ial ly ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁rural ▁pur ge ; ▁gen res ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁panel ▁game ▁show , ▁western , ▁variety ▁show , ▁bar n ▁dance ▁and ▁rural - orient ed ▁sit com ▁all ▁met ▁their ▁dem ise ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁newer , ▁more ▁modern ▁series ▁target ed ▁at ▁wealth ier ▁sub urban ▁and ▁urban ▁view ers . ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁same ▁time , ▁vide ot ape ▁became ▁a ▁more ▁afford able ▁alternative ▁to ▁film ▁for ▁recording ▁programs . ▁ ▁St ations ▁across ▁the ▁country ▁also ▁produced ▁their ▁own ▁local ▁programs . ▁Usually ▁carried ▁live , ▁they ▁r anged ▁from ▁simple ▁advert is ements ▁to ▁game ▁shows ▁and ▁children ' s ▁shows ▁that ▁often ▁featured ▁c low ns ▁and ▁other ▁off be at ▁characters . ▁Local ▁programs ▁could ▁often ▁be ▁popular ▁and ▁prof itable , ▁but ▁concerns ▁about ▁product ▁promotion ▁led ▁them ▁to ▁almost ▁completely ▁disappear ▁by ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 7 0 s . ▁The ▁last ▁remaining ▁locally ▁origin ated ▁shows ▁on ▁American ▁television ▁ ▁are ▁local ▁new sc asts , ▁public ▁affairs ▁shows ▁and ▁some ▁bro ker ed ▁programming ▁( such ▁as ▁talk - l ifest yle ▁shows )