Posted on 12/28/2009 9:32:21 PM PST by SmithL
For more than 60 years, TV stations have broadcast news, sports and entertainment for free and made their money by showing commercials. That might not work much longer.
The business model is unraveling at ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and the local stations that carry the networks' programming. Cable TV and the Web have fractured the audience for free TV and siphoned its ad dollars. The recession has squeezed advertising further, forcing broadcasters to accelerate their push for new revenue to pay for programming.
That will play out in living rooms across the country. The changes could mean higher cable or satellite TV bills, as the networks and local stations squeeze more fees from pay-TV providers such as Comcast and DirecTV for the right to show broadcast TV channels in their lineups. The networks might even ditch free broadcast signals in the next few years. Instead, they could operate as cable channels — a move that could spell the end of free TV as Americans have known it since the 1940s.
"Good programing is expensive," Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp. owns Fox, told a shareholder meeting this fall. "It can no longer be supported solely by advertising revenues."
Fox is pursuing its strategy in public, warning that its broadcasts — including college football bowl games — could go dark Friday for subscribers of Time Warner Cable, unless the pay-TV operator gives Fox higher fees. For its part, Time Warner Cable is asking customers whether it should "roll over" or "get tough" in negotiations.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
I haven’t watched TV for years and haven’t missed a thing. It’s refreshing to see so many others who have shut the boob tube off. For the most part all TV does is brainwash and waste time.
I think from a customer service standpoint, having an ala carte menu would be a nightmare for cable/satellite companies. They would have to hire more workers to please more consumers, most of whom would change their minds next month. This is why they probably won’t do it, IMO.
also available on
along with many other series/shows/movies.
Who need cable/satellite anymore - or even the MSM.
With all these sites, you can get the shows - on YOUR time table and with little to no advertising.
cable/satellite is slipping into horse and buggy status. They don't see that yet - but their “solution” of raising prices will push them over the edge.
Many people have bought or jerry rigged it so’s they can transfer the shows to the TV screen - but now, with the large flat screen monitors - that's not necc. either.
how do they do pay per view or pay channels for movies? The technology is there , they can see what you're watching and for how long. If they really wanted to know what the "ratings" were then the cable box would give them really good data. Fitted with motion detectors, could even sense if someone was watching or if more than one person was watching.
They could even give people a break by getting data on volunteer families that would allow the technology to make them "Nielson" families.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.