Netflix, HULU and others must be making an impact...Amazing what happens when you want to pay for only what you want to see...
I would gladly pay 50% less for 90% less channels, if I kept the channels that I wanted. This deal of packaging different channels so that you have to pay the top subscription rate is for the birds.
I get about 40 free channels the old fashion way with an antenna. Told DirectTV to go away years ago. Who wants to pay for all those commercials?
BTW I am 50 and 80 miles from most of the big city tv transmitters.
Viacom doesn't want you to do that (CBS, MTV, VH1, Nick, TV Land, Comedy Central, Spike, LOGO...), neither does Time-Warner-Turner (WB, CNN, TBS, HBO, Cinemax...), nor does Disney (ABC, Disney, ESPN, Family Channel...).
They like their slice of your monthly bill very much even if you don't watch (or boycott) their channels.