the cable channels get subscriber fees. They get paid whether you watch or not. You do not even have to turn on your tv. If you send a check they get paid. CNN gets half of its revenue from subscriber fees.
I know — I’m just offering a *possible* solution for folks who don’t want to completely cancel their service.
Ratings matter to these media outlets (and their advertisers), and they have to negotiate their contracts with the provider. If enough people no longer watch their network, the cable/satellite provider will want to pay them less — it’s not in their interest to use channel space for a declining network, or one that can be filled by another outlet that wants less for its contract.
“the cable channels get subscriber fees. They get paid whether you watch or not. You do not even have to turn on your tv. If you send a check they get paid. CNN gets half of its revenue from subscriber fees.”
True, but the subscriber fees are negotiated, and the negotiations involve the number of eyeballs.