NEWS: Wouldn’t It Be Nice?

I've been laughing about this type of debate for years. It seems people have been up in arms, demanding reform of cable companies ever since the companies got enough content to actually attract subscribers.

I have been annoyed by their doublespeak, sneaky pricing, and lame service too, but the truth is, I've never NEEDED cable tv, and no one else has either... even back when the only other choice was 4 to 5 channels on the rabbit ears.

What is so funny is that people are so addicted to vegetating in front of their screen that they see it as a need, and are all for getting the government to come and intervene on their behalf, like someone has an unfair monopoly on food or the water supply. In my view, if people are so lame that they view themselves as incapable of going without cable tv, even though they are dissatisfied with it, don't they deserve to be screwed? Did the cable tv suck out their free will through their optic nerves?

Now that there is satellite, multiple DVD rental options, and the internet, the case for messing with cable is even weaker. If your cable service really pisses you off that much, try picking up the phone and cancelling your service. Try one of the many other easily available mediated entertainment options in print, audio, or multimedia form. Or - and I know this sounds crazy - you could try to increase the amount of time you spend actually experiencing your own life without mediation...




[Edited on Jul 31, 2004 by anatomist1]

Or even worse, the independent and educational channels will attempt to become more like MTV to gain viewership and loose the breadth of their selections, ala Discovery Channel "AKA the Testosterone, Fighting, and Choppers Network."

Personally, I think this is a great step towards not being douche bags. Even if this doesn't work out, it's that many fewer resources dedicated to "reigning in obscenity."

~MS

just give me my cartoon network, comedy central, discovery channel, and g4tech tv and i'll be happy. oh and maybe history channel and tbs, tbs has seinfeld

If you zoomed in on that gleam, you would have noticed that it was a teeny-tiny shiny banner that said "Fuck the Cable Company".


[Edited on Jul 31, 2004 8:02PM]

I actually think they may have a point about it hurting cable networks. For example, I would never have even thought to watch TRIO if I hadn't been flipping by it one day and saw that they were showing a marathon of one of my favorite shows. I certainly wouldn't have ordered The WB back when it was starting, and thus I would have completely missed Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Sometimes there's really cool stuff on those "extra" channels, but nobody would know it if they didn't get them as a package deal, so we'd just wind up with the same tired shit from the few networks that everybody ordered.

If I had broadband I would only use my TV for gaming and watching movies. I get screwed by the adelphia every month, and yeah, it would be nice to pick what channels I have for a lower bill. I'm forced to get digital cable to have the channels that I really watch. and basic just has a shit load of religious channels on it. oh and belive it or not, I just got cartoon network like a year ago on my service. It sucks down here, and whats worse is that there the only cable company in this dinky town.

ok done with that rant.

I've always said.....gimme a base monthly price of $10 or so and then $1 per channel I want every month.....that's heaven.

They could make up the revenue by charging a shitton more for commercials aired on the most popular networks.

I would imagine that if they did have to offer the consumer which channels they wanted that they would still keep it in a package format, but instead of "this is your basic package, enjoy the channels you get with it" it would be more like this:

Basic
Pick 10 channels

Extended (or whatever name)
Pick 30 channels

Premium
Pick 50 channels

That way they'd still basicly make the same amount of money, but they could say "hey we're offering the channels people are asking for".

People here are making an assumption that likely is not true: each network channel costs the same price.

I'm sure that people would add HBO, Showtime, Skinemax, TMC, Starz!, etc. under such a plan, when they actually probably cost much more than the other channels.

Some of the most expensive channels on the cable band are ESPN and FOX Sports Net. ESPN and FOX Sports Net are two big reasons for cable prices skyrocketing lately. Licensing sporting events is very expensive because athletes and new sporting venues (aside from taxpayer financing) are very expensive.

Congratulations! Your cable bill is more expensive because A-Rod earns $15M a year!

i could totally drop Fox News Network from my channel surf... woowoo.

5 or death, or like the brittish, cake. Cake please
you know tv isn't that great, go read a book

[Edited on Aug 01, 2004 9:22AM]