Yeah, unfortunately there are so many businesses that are extremely dependent on that programming.
As a thought experiment... I'm sure we could change the culture a bit if, say, advertising was illegal. It's wild that in Australia medical advertising is not allowed, but in the US it is... and all the commercials for drugs are constant and horrifying here. If there was no advertising would people lust after material possessions so much? Or is the problem much deeper than programming? Do people ultimately feel unsatisfied and that leaves a gap for products/services to fill?