Cable doesnt charge you in their "most basic ANT type service" for the channels. They charge you for the following items:
1. Running the cables to your house, maintianing the cables to your house.
2. Operating the network, all the equipment it takes to process the OTA signal and modulate it so you can see it.
3. To setup your account and maintain your billing, pay for the call center incase you have problems, pay for the tech incase you have problems.
at what avg 15-20/month they charge for a 10-20 channel lineup depending on the cable company that seems very reasonable..
Apples to Oranges. Again, you are reselling something that you do not have the copyrights to - without local service satellite and cable would be running a very close race with consumers - as witnessed by the explosion of satellite subs once LIL started.
Again, if cable wants something for free, then they should also deliever it everyone in the market for free with no additional obligation as a cost of getting the signal for free.
There are no free rides - you have to pay for it one way or the other. Cable wants its cake and to eat it as well.
Cable does use public right of ways.. They also pay a nice amount of money for that right. You ever look at your cable bill? ad see all those extra taxes you get charged? All that money goes to uncle sam.. The local goverments YOUR local goverments get a nice amount of money from the cable company..
Broadcasting also pays a high price to keep the license. It is subjected to more Government Regulation, Oversight, low cost pricing for politicians, Incredibly tight EEO oversight and cost of Public Affairs and Community Service that totals millions.
and the cables arent in your yard.. Their in the goverments property.. You may
own it but you dont own it.. if that makes sense..
Exactly the same as the "Public Airways" people claim TV gets for "free"
and umm you might want to check those facts again, their is also a thread here on satguys, about another company doing the same thing, and the fox station cut its ad rates by 30-40% when mediacom stopped carrying them and the CW.. and the analysts were saying that wasnt even low enough..
Care to supply a link - ALL Analysts have cut Mediacom's rating. None have cut Sinclair.
Fact is, all TV stations and outlets, including your cable operation, cuts rates to the bone in January and February. Always have. Regardless of market or carriage. Ad Dollars are always scarce in 1Q.