There wasn't much other choice back then, besides the other two networks, and maybe an independent station or two if they were still on that late at night.

That being said, yeah, and we went to the fuckin' moon with half the population there is now, too. Quality over quantity always wins. There's more channels and services, too, but most of the shows and movies now just plain suck. Carson had to work for his share of the viewership, even so.