综合频道

综合频道是指一种电视或电台广播的频道类型，有别于特定类型频道的客群为特定观众，综合频道的目的是提供多元类型的节目，以提供一般大众收看。^[1][2][3][4] 

内容

综合频道通常专注于一般的娱乐节目。^[5][6] 他们也倾向把另一部分的重心放在新闻节目上，^[7][8] 因为提供新闻资讯是他们职责的一部分。^[9]

台湾

综合频道是最早出现在台湾的频道类型，在台湾，“老三台”在类比时期即是属于综合频道。有线电视开始普及后，综合频道的定义逐渐转变成提供各种娱乐性节目的频道，如综艺节目、戏剧、资讯节目等。也因受到多人收看，通常有线电视的频道区块中，列在较前面的位置。

在无线电视的领域中，最早设立的综合频道又常被称为“主频道”，是电视台的经营重点项目（如针对广告、收视率、特别节目等项目）之一。在重大事件发生后，常常利用主频道播出特别报导，但此任务在无线电视数码化、各电视台的新闻台在无线电视开播等因素后，逐渐转移到新闻台上（不含未设立新闻台的公视）。

普及

整体来说，综合频道是最多人收看的电视频道之一。^[10]

参考文献

1. Chris Forrester. A Blisteringly Good Year For Europe. SatMagazine. [2018-03-10]. （原始内容存档于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]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于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]. （原始内容存档于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]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于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]. （原始内容存档于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]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于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.^{[永久失效链接]}
8. Ricardo Daniel Santos Faro Marques Ribeiro. Summarizing Spoken Documents: avoiding distracting content (PDF). Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa. [2018-03-10]. （原始内容存档 (PDF)于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]. （原始内容存档于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]. （原始内容 (PDF)存档于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.