It's my own theory; but I believe they are.
I know the TV shows are primarily entertainment. But at the same time there is a thread of truth to them a lot of times.
And look at the number of places that some of these shows, especially Ghost Adventures, have been called to investigate where the place was first used as a staged haunted house? There's been several.
Right here in Kentucky, there is an old farmhouse that was used as a staged haunted house for a fundraiser for a number of years. And now it's one of the most haunted places around supposedly. And it's a negative haunting.
So I think the staged haunted houses are a catalyst or a portal for real paranormal activity.
What do you think?