Will HDTV bring back the TV repairman?

Here's something I really hadn't thought of: with television prices dropping, what is the impact on the television repair industry? From the 1950's on, you could count on seeing a television repair shop in just about every town; big and small. As the TV moved from black & white to color, prices dropped along the way. Fast forward to the early 2000's: a standard analog color TV can be had for a few hundred dollars or less, essentially becoming a throw-away item.

It's hard to believe, but it's true: falling television prices have stifled the repair business. In 1992, there were over 20,000 consumer electronics repair centers. Twelve years later that number dwindled to around 7,000 centers. What about the "little guy" or local repairman? When is the last time you saw one of them?

It's true the digital television prices are falling fast, but most normal people aren't going to spend from one to ten thousand dollars on a set and then throw it away if it breaks. I'm sure the television warranty market is up, but here's hoping that the TV repairman gains some digital experience and stages a comeback.