I'm not sure what DP stands for where you come from, but I've always known it to be the Director of Photography, the title given to cinematographers on film sets. To say that most TV shows don't have cinematographers is false, they all have a director of photography.
The majority of television shows are still shot on 35mm film. About several years ago, some sitcoms started shooting instead in HD video to try and reduce costs. Some dramas have followed, but the number of shows shot on HD is nowhere near the majority.
Television shows definitely have smaller budgets than movies, but they both have time constraints in their shooting schedules. If movies only shot 5 scenes a day, they would fall behind schedule and over budget very quickly. The DP's job is the same for TV shows and movies, to use their knowledge and skills to light a scene according to the artistic vision of the director. To say that it doesn't count as real cinematography because the end product will only be broadcast on television belittles what DPs do to improve and perfect their craft.
Do independant films not use real cinematography? They can have budgets smaller than television shows and shooting schedules just as tight.
From reading some of your other posts, it seems you're dismissal of television shows has more to do with the content (writing, acting, etc.) rather than the visual aspect of the show. And I'm right there with you, you'll find more movies with good writing than you will television shows. But I disagree that good cinematography is limited to the big screen.
-wolfhead
