6.9 Million American Homes Drop Cable TV

Considering the crap that passes for news these days on CNN and MSNBC, a smarter populace might be a positive side benefit of the recession.

Younger Americans, minorities and low-income homes, socked by unemployment and the economy have jumped the cable ship in the highest numbers. The GfK poll found that minorities make up 44 percent of all broadcast-only homes.

But according to Wharton, the shift isn't all bad. He said that more and more cable-like shows are now on free digital broadcast, especially those for minorities. "There is sort of an explosion in free network programming," he said.