Free TV No More?
Free TV may be becoming a thing of the past. Traditionally networks such as NBC, ABC, CBS, and FOX have not charged for viewing their stations programming 
and made their money from advertising. However, with cable channels taking more and more viewers and advertisers away from these networks the old paradigm is not working as well as it once was. Fox recently threatened to block programming on Time Warner Cable if they did not start paying them per subscriber. If this becomes the new norm then free TV as many Americans know it will cease to exist. There has been free TV since the invention of television. This would mark a new era in television affecting a large part of America who does not currently get cable or dish programming. Americans would now be forced to pay for all television viewing.
I have a great idea for cable and dish companies, and for the American people…A la carte Cable. Why do I have to pay for a bunch of channels that I am not going to watch? Why not pay just for the channels that I want and will watch. Cable and dish companies have to pay each network so much per subscriber and then charge us more than they pay so they make money as well. They lose customers due to high costs and now costs are going to get higher because the traditionally free channels might not be free anymore. Why not just charge so much for each channel and let the consumer pick which channels they want in their own individual package. This way the companies can retain current customers, and bring in new ones. This would also cut down on the costs that networks charge per subscriber because they will now be competing even more against one another for viewers. More popular channels will charge more and less popular channels will charge less. This will allow Americans to have the TV package that they want and eliminate channels that you pay for but don’t watch.
Tags: ABC, American, cable, CBS, channel, dish, fox, free, NBC, network, package, program, programming, television, Time Warner, tv, viewing
January 20th, 2010 at 11:21 am
Good idea! And if, God forbid, we all have to pay for TV…….then maybe the cable companies can make “regional packages.” These could include just the hometown and surrounding TV stations. (assuming that they will still be there, of course.) I really have no desire to watch some of the cable channels, being of the “old school” television watchers. I just like my regular channels, that bring me the hometown news and advertising.
But, good lord, I hope it doesn’t come down to “pay TV.” That just doesn’t seem right.
July 1st, 2010 at 11:40 am
Its good actually people will work rather than watching NASCAR and drink beer