綜合頻道

綜合頻道是指一種電視或電台廣播的頻道類型，有別於特定類型頻道的客群為特定觀眾，綜合頻道的目的是提供多元類型的節目，以提供一般大眾收看。^[1][2][3][4] 

內容

綜合頻道通常專注於一般的娛樂節目。^[5][6] 他們也傾向把另一部分的重心放在新聞節目上，^[7][8] 因為提供新聞資訊是他們職責的一部份。^[9]

台灣

綜合頻道是最早出現在台灣的頻道類型，在台灣，「老三台」在類比時期即是屬於綜合頻道。有線電視開始普及後，綜合頻道的定義逐漸轉變成提供各種娛樂性節目的頻道，如綜藝節目、戲劇、資訊節目等。也因受到多人收看，通常有線電視的頻道區塊中，列在較前面的位置。

在無線電視的領域中，最早設立的綜合頻道又常被稱為「主頻道」，是電視台的經營重點項目（如針對廣告、收視率、特別節目等項目）之一。在重大事件發生後，常常利用主頻道播出特別報導，但此任務在無線電視數位化、各電視台的新聞台在無線電視開播等因素後，逐漸轉移到新聞台上（不含未設立新聞台的公視）。

普及

整體來說，綜合頻道是最多人收看的電視頻道之一。^[10]

參考文獻

1. Chris Forrester. A Blisteringly Good Year For Europe. SatMagazine. [2018-03-10]. （原始內容存檔於2018-09-08）. ... analysis of the range of channels available by genre. Among the channels available in Europe in 2008, generalist channels offering a mixture of different programme genres still represent the largest category: 376 channels of this kind are available.
2. Gunn Sara Enli. Defending Nordic Children Against Disney: PBS Children’s Channels in the Age of Globalization (PDF). Nordicom Review 34 (2013) 1, pp. 77-90. 2013 [2018-03-10]. （原始內容存檔 (PDF)於2017-08-12）. While the European public broadcasters are generalist channels, meaning that they offer mixed programming and aim to attract all target groups, the US public broadcaster offers more specific programming. Generally speaking, European public broadcasters compete with commercial channels in all genres, including entertainment and sports, while PBS in the US has targeted two specific audience segments: children and business people.
3. COMMISSION DECISION of 10 May 2000 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 81 of the EC Treaty (Case IV/32.150 — Eurovision). Official Journal of the European Communities. 2000-06-24 [2018-03-10]. （原始內容存檔於2017-11-03）. Again, there would normally be one or two generalist channels with mass appeal programming, and further commercial channels which looked more specifically for niches in the market.
4. Dr. Karol Jakubowicz. Public service broadcasting: a new beginning, or the beginning of the end? (PDF). [2018-03-10]. （原始內容存檔 (PDF)於2015-12-11）. [...]: anything beyond the 1960s model of 「one-size-fits-all」 traditional generalist channels addressed to the entire population of a country.
5. TAM Glossary. Nielsen Television Audience Measurement. [2018-03-10]. （原始內容存檔於2015-04-29）. General entertainment TV channel without specific thematic content.
6. (Country Report) Mapping Digital Media: Romania (PDF). Open Society Foundations. [2018-03-10]. （原始內容存檔 (PDF)於2018-09-08）. Generalist channels continue to focus on entertainment. These stations focus on less well educated audiences while niche stations cater increasingly to younger, more educated audiences.
7. Minna Aslama. The Diversity Challenge: Changing Television Markets and Public Service Programming in Finland, 1993-2004. The Donald McGannon Communication Research Center. April 2006.^{[永久失效連結]}
8. Ricardo Daniel Santos Faro Marques Ribeiro. Summarizing Spoken Documents: avoiding distracting content (PDF). Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. [2018-03-10]. （原始內容存檔 (PDF)於2016-02-22）. In fact, one needs only to observe the television example, where channels specialized in news dissemination, as well as a multitude of news programs on generalist channels, generate a huge amount of information that summarization may help to deliver to the users, efficiently and in a personalized manner.,
9. Television. Telecom Italia Media. [2014-10-29]. （原始內容存檔於2014-10-29）. [...], AGCOM laid down the automatic numbering plan for digital terrestrial television channels, assigning former analog channels with information obligations (known as "generalist" channels) the first nine positions and attributing position 7 to La7 and 8 to MTV.
10. Political Information Opportunities in Europe : A Longitudinal and Comparative Study of Thirteen Television Systems (PDF). The International Journal of Press/Politics. [2014-10-28]. （原始內容 (PDF)存檔於2014-10-29）. The most widely watched channels are usually 「generalist」 channels that cater for the whole population and follow a universal program strategy of which political information programs are an important component.