November sweeps are supposed to be an exciting time for the Big Four broadcast networks. They showcase their big splashy plots and cliff hangers and the mid-season finales. But the networks are down in the dumps…and more specifically in the ratings. The Big Four are down by 11 percent in adult’s 18-49 ratings during November.

CBS dropped the most from 2.4 to 1.9 and is now tied with ABC in ratings. Fox, as predicted, is firmly last place among the networks. Many returning shows are posting fairly strong numbers with The Voice helping NBC and there are some bright spots coming from new shows like How to Get Away with Murder and Gotham. However, most shows have experienced dips and many new shows are floundering.

But, don’t confuse a dip in broadcast ratings to mean a decline in TV viewership.

Surprisingly, overall television viewership is flat from last year. The average person still spends a little over four and half hours a day watching TV. People are still watching TV the traditional way. They just aren’t choosing to watch the shows that the networks deem worthy. The massive amount of quality television means that people are choosing to watch other things on cable, premium networks, shows during the day.

What broadcast networks need to understand is that people aren’t going to watch any TV show because it’s on air. The increased choices have allowed consumers to do just that. Choose the show that they prefer to spend their time with.

So instead of blaming Nielsen for the decline, maybe CBS and the networks could work on bringing quality programming to the masses. There are shows on the air that do just that: The Good Wife, Scandal, The Big Bang Theory still bring in strong audiences. So we all know they are capable of finding those watch-worthy shows. Now’s the time to step up your game.