Turning off The Light

The longest running daytime drama (72 years), which began as a radio serial has been given the pink slip. Yet another sign of our economic struggles, Guiding Light, has been sliced from the CBS Daytime line up. The final episode is scheduled to air on September 18th, 2009.

During its run, The Light, as it has come to be known, highlighted many social issues including discrimination against women, teen alcoholism and drug abuse. The show also has raised awareness about postpartum depression, AIDS, Down syndrome, leukemia and breast cancer. In the late 60's, The Light, was the first soap opera to introduce leading African-American characters. Currently the writers have been weaving together a powerful storyline pairing two female characters as a potential couple - Otalia.

In recent years, The Light, has struggled in the ratings. In an effort to stay cutting edge and lure back viewers, it has undergone several facelifts. The process has included on location shoots in NYC and New Jersey, as well as filming in HD and with handheld equipment. The show even went as far as returning to old style audio format, in the form of downloadable soapcasts, in an effort to reach a wider audience that didn't necessarily have the time to sit and watch. Additionally, same-day episodes are streamed on-line.

Consistent decline in ratings and a loss of advertising dollars have played a key role in the demise of the soap. While there is hope that The Light may stay on the air via fan outcry, the reality of it is that daytime television is scrutinized much like a primetime. There is very little reason to spend adversiting dollars on a show who's target audience (i.e. 18-49y.o.) is very limited, and as a result, there is very little reason to keep it on the air.

So get your Light fix while you can, before CBS turns it off for good.