After my divorce, I let my ex keep the telly and my daughters and I made do without. They got involved in a lot more out of school activities, it was easier to get them to read a book on their own and I read an enormous amount myself, particularly after they went to bed.
Sadly, I discovered just how frequently people talk about TV programmes and missed out on many conversations, but it was a good experiment for a year.
Unfortunately, my ex bought us a new one and the household rapidly returned to old viewing habits.
If I were on my own, I think I'd lose the TV once more because its just an excuse for me to be lazy and not think.