Good news, sad news?

Some time back I was with some friends and acquaintances when one of the young women brought up a documentary she had just seen on television showing that there is lots of evidence for the existence of mermaids. Despite our laughter and efforts to point out that that particular "documentary" was as fake as the famous Orson Welles' War of the Worlds radio program, she insisted that it was true. Why? Because it looked like it was true, people acted very serious and -- most importantly -- they all were scientists. Scientists? Yes, because the thing on the screen that gave their names identified them as scientists with different research groups.

This is one of the things that is wrong with television and the way we watch it. We have lost the ability to distinguish between fiction and nonfiction. Because the entertainment business has discovered (I used the word discovered intentionally) that you can get people to watch just about anything if you pretend it is real.

And I used the word discovered because a big offender -- the perpetrator of the foolish mermaid program, for example -- is the Discovery Channel. But good news!

Looks like Discovery won't be finding new evidence on mermaids anytime soon.

Despite its ratings success with shows like "Mermaids: The Body Found" and "Megalodon: The New Evidence," new Discovery Channel president Rich Ross said he's getting rid of fake shows, according to Deadline.com. 

At the 2015 Winter TCA press tour, Ross said, "I don’t think it’s right for Discovery Channel, and think it’s something that has run its course." Ross went on to say shows will still air if they were previously ordered, according to EW, but that type of programming is "not something that’s right for us."

Ross also addressed Discovery's critically bashed special "Eaten Alive," in which (spoiler alert) no one was actually eaten alive. The president said the program was "misleading," adding, "I don’t believe you’ll be seeing a person being eaten by a snake in my time [at Discovery].”

Though it seems like Discovery's attempt to grab ratings with sensational shows may be over, other channels in Discovery's network can breathe a sigh of relief. After he was asked about the fate of shows like Animal Planet's "Finding Bigfoot," Ross said he "just has to worry about what I do."

Other supposedly informational channels are equally bad. Almost every other program on the History Channel has about as much to do with history as Mike and Molly. And one sad thing is there are thousands of fascinating stories about history that don't have to delve around in fantasy about the Templars or such junk. Well, at least someone it trying to be responsible. I wonder how long Mr. Ross will keep his job if ratings start dropping.

Now if only someone like him would take over the news outlets that desperately need a housecleaning ... 

PS -- If you are interested in a famous historical mermaid hoax -- the hoax is historical, not the mermaid -- click here to read about P.T. Barnums's famous Fiji mermaid. At least that way you will learn something real.