Today is World TV Day, declared in 1996 by the UN “in recognition of the increasing impact television has on decision-making by alerting world attention to conflicts and threats to peace and security and its potential role in sharpening the focus on other major issues, including economic and social issues.”

1996 was also the year John Browning declared in the July issue of Scientific American:

“Something intriguing is happening in American homes. Computers seem to be luring away people from the television set. It’s still too early to tell if this is the long-heralded end of the 50-year obsession with the ‘idiot box.’ But it does seem to be the beginning of an affair with CD-ROMs and the World Wide Web, and as it heats up, the door is thrown open for another generation of stars.”

And today, a Wall Street Journal article titled “How to Save $10,000 by Next Thanksgivings,” started its list of saving tips with the following:

Dump the TV. “There’s no need for a TV with the Internet,” says Molly Ruben-Long, who works for a nonprofit in New Orleans. “You can watch most shows for free online.” Savings: $600 a year.

According to WorldTVPC.com, market research firm Business Insights predicts  global sales of internet-enabled TVs to reach over 90 million by 2013.