Apparently I’m Not The Lone Ranger

[Taxcutter]

Last November I cancelled my cable TV subscription. Other than having to go out to a sports bar to see ball games, I haven’t missed a thing.

It appears I’m hardly alone.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ZERO_TV?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-04-07-19-15-26

It frosted me that Brian Williams and Rachel Madcow were making money off me. Just getting their hand out of my pocket was worthwhile.

But over and beyond the wildly biased TV news, the rest of the programming was unacceptable, too. It looked like the same stuff I’d seen since I was a kid, just somewhat raunchier.

What good is 100 channels when you really want only six or seven?

Interestingly enough, the cable company sent a dude out to see me Saturday, wondering what it would take to get me back. I said it would be easy: 100% a la carte programming. I do not begrudge paying for what I want to see but paying for the rest of it is an insult.

I didn’t tell him I was looking at going OTA with a DVR to filter out the commercials.

New technology is banging on the gates.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/us-broadcaster-threats-idUSBRE9360E220130407

quote:
“…the percentage of viewers who watch TV from the traditional networks was crashing, down from 69 percent in 1993 to 42 percent today in February, according to Nielsen.”

“…if ratings continue to decline, the TV networks will have smaller captive audience…”

"It's like the music business," …"They decline and decline and one day the bottom falls out."

Taxcutter says:
I know there’s more than just the biased news that’s driving people away from the TV. But it ain’t helping. Before long MSNBC will be as obsolete as pay phones.

[patrickt]

I thought maybe you felt Tonto had abandoned you. I don't know how much I buy the zero TV nonsense. Probably about as much as I buy people who buy a big expensive television and swear they only watch football and the news. Right. People who never ever watch 'reality television seem to be able to talk about it endlessly.

Thirty years ago I dumped cable and got a satellite dish. Twenty years ago I dumped the television. It took me three months to detox from my addiction but once I was television free I could barely tolerate watching it. I won't be going back to television. It certainly hasn't improved in the last twenty years.

[Peter1469]

I wish that I could get TV channels ala cart. I could make due with about 6 channels.

[simpsonofpg]

I never really thought about it until it came up on the forum but ya'll are right, I only watch about 6 channels, the rest are either advertising or junk. When I look at the cost of the number of channel I watch it is pretty high and I can get a dvd and do just as well. I don't watch sports because the quit being sports years ago. I don't like paying to watch a bunch of overpaid car washers play ball and they are watched by a bunch of wannabe athletes.

[Greenridgeman]

Last November I cancelled my cable TV subscription. Other than having to go out to a sports bar to see ball games, I haven’t missed a thing.

It appears I’m hardly alone.







http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ZERO_TV?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-04-07-19-15-26

It frosted me that Brian Williams and Rachel Madcow were making money off me. Just getting their hand out of my pocket was worthwhile.

But over and beyond the wildly biased TV news, the rest of the programming was unacceptable, too. It looked like the same stuff I’d seen since I was a kid, just somewhat raunchier.

What good is 100 channels when you really want only six or seven?

Interestingly enough, the cable company sent a dude out to see me Saturday, wondering what it would take to get me back. I said it would be easy: 100% a la carte programming. I do not begrudge paying for what I want to see but paying for the rest of it is an insult.

I didn’t tell him I was looking at going OTA with a DVR to filter out the commercials.

New technology is banging on the gates.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/04/07/us-broadcaster-threats-idUSBRE9360E220130407

quote:
“…the percentage of viewers who watch TV from the traditional networks was crashing, down from 69 percent in 1993 to 42 percent today in February, according to Nielsen.”

“…if ratings continue to decline, the TV networks will have smaller captive audience…”

"It's like the music business," …"They decline and decline and one day the bottom falls out."

Taxcutter says:
I know there’s more than just the biased news that’s driving people away from the TV. But it ain’t helping. Before long MSNBC will be as obsolete as pay phones.




I am fed up with what I get for what I pay.

900 Channels of crap, or repeats, for $90 a month.

Thing is, I need it for college football.

Priceless then

[Taxcutter]

Here’s some more amplification on the subject.

http://pjmedia.com/eddriscoll/2013/04/08/life-after-television/?singlepage=true

quote:
“the average age of a network news watcher is now 60; only about 8 percent of viewership is between 18 and 34. Ten years ago, 60 percent of adult Americans regularly tuned in to one of the network newscasts. Now it’s only about one in three.”

And there’s this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0060520841/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0060520841&linkCode=as2&tag=pjmedia-20

Earlier I mentioned the decline of dead-tree newspapers. Consider this:
http://www.aei-ideas.org/2013/04/free-fall-adjusted-for-inflation-print-newspaper-advertising-in-2012-was-lower-than-in-1950/

Notice that the “online” segment doesn’t help them much. People don’t trust the old-guard news media.

[Cigar]

Nice House you have there Ted ... :laugh:

I think the Dish would look silly anyway.

http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/061129/061129_unabomberhome_bcol_330a.standard.jpg

[Taxcutter]

Now we hear two of the Big Four are thinking about terminating over-the-air broadcasting.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2013/04/08/holy-cow-two-of-the-big-four-tv-networks-are-considering-going-off-the-air/

If over-the-air broadcasting goes the way of the eight-track, how will Democrats communicate with their base? Obama-TVs?

[Cigar]

Now we hear two of the Big Four are thinking about terminating over-the-air broadcasting.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2013/04/08/holy-cow-two-of-the-big-four-tv-networks-are-considering-going-off-the-air/

If over-the-air broadcasting goes the way of the eight-track, how will Democrats communicate with their base? Obama-TVs?


You sound like my Grandfather ... 40 years ago :grin:

[nic34]

You sound like my Grandfather ... 40 years ago :grin:

Are these "free-market" conservatives complaining about free enterprise?

Maybe deregulation in 1996 wasn't so good for competition after all.... :laugh:

A good set top blu-ray and netflix is a great alternative.

[Mainecoons]

I don't seen anyone complaining, I just see Nic making another worthless post.

In 1996, pretty much all we had was those worthless networks. Now we have everything from endless CATV to internet broadcasting.

As usual, your head is so far up your ass you didn't notice that deregulation accomplished exactly what it was intended to accomplish. Sorry you progressive fools lost your media monopoly.

:rofl:

:grin:

[nic34]

I don't seen anyone complaining, I just see Nic making another worthless post.

In 1996, pretty much all we had was those worthless networks. Now we have everything from endless CATV to internet broadcasting.

As usual, your head is so far up your ass you didn't notice that deregulation accomplished exactly what it was intended to accomplish. Sorry you progressive fools lost your media monopoly.

:rofl:

:grin:

Well then, why don't you answer the questions I asked....?

[Mainecoons]

When you ask an honest question, genius, I'll answer it.