Well, Alaska's a lot colder and more sparse than most other states, so it might be of marginal interest to those who live in warmer climates. That being said, I think it's an issue of "we have 24 hours of programming to fill in a day, not enough programs to fill it, and we don't dare sign off and lose channel space, so we're just going to create a bunch of derivative crap to fill airtime."
The funniest accidentally funny show on TV the the vein of what you mentioned, is that "Finding Bigfoot" show.
I watched it a couple of times and was laughing my ass off. This show is in something like season 4 or 5, and they have never ever, ever, never, found anything close to a bigfoot. Who in their right mind could watch that show?
GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO FIND A BIGFOOT PEOPLE. IT IS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN!
You can take the show to season 125 and every show will be the same as the last one, nothing. That is so funny.
And the characters are equally funny. There is a guy named Bobo, who calls himself a "Squach" expert. Well, except he has never filmed one, or found a body of one, or bones, or anything else. But he is still the "squach" expert. And you have to say "squach", not bigfoot like the civilians, because "squach" means that you really know what's going on. (hilarious)
Then there is a Billy Mays style shill guy who freaks completely out everytime he hears a deer or a racoon. He breathlessly exclaims, Did you hear that! DID YOU HEAR THAT! There is something moving out in the woods! Oh my GOD! This could be it!! This could be it!! [break to commercial]
Then they find out it is a deer or a squrirrel which of course is "duh". But does that effect them or deter them? No, not at all. They all have a conference at the end of the show and declare, with a serious face, "Well, if there are deer out here, there must be bigfoots (bigfeet?, bigfeets?). Because that means there is food for them to eat. We'll get him next time. [end of show] hahaha lol
Like you said, I guess they have to fill time and will throw anything on TV, no matter how silly it is.