Study: Most Viewers Want To Limit The Pay TV Channels They Buy

[Scherrman]

When you look back on where I started in the 60s watching tv as a kid , we only had around 3 - 4 channels period. All the same programming we have today, sans the Premium movie channels , was on those same 3- 4 channels. There was no need to reproduce the same crap and spread it out over 200 miscellaneous channels with hours of repeats and infomercials taking up most of the day and night. Anyone remember when HBO and Showtime was just one channel each? The main reason to duplicate to a suite of channels for them now is to force all subs to pay more. That is why HBO went from $9.99 a month to $18.00 a month. Same content spread out over 7 channels and 1 duplicate channel in spanish.

The only reason we have the cable system we have today with forced bundling is due to one word: GREED. The channel companies found a way to force video providers to carry all their made up channels due to forced bundling and yearly extortion price hikes to keep them on. IF congress would force one thing in law it would be to end all forced bundling of channels in both SD and HD. So a company could carry only what they want and it would keep the price hikes to a lower minimum. So no more ESPN forced bundling linked with Disney and ABC . All channels would stand alone on their own merit. Would this mean we would lose a bunch of niche channels and duplicates of Espn ? YES. Would most people care? NO. You would still get the same programming you have today ,but it would be reduced down to more manageable system of cable channels. With dvrs and PTAT on DISH hoppers, there is no real need to miss any programming.

Will this change in law ever happen at a congressional level ? Doubtful. Special interests run congress now. Money talks and unfortunately there isn't a cable/satellite subscribers lobby with any money that could buy the group of us our change we so badly need. The only way it will change is when it is priced so high that the system collapses or implodes in on itself. It is only a matter of time before this happens. Between newer generations who will never pay for pay tv and older viewers who are literally dieing out every day, the amount of people that the Companies can extort is dropping each quarter. IF something doesn't change on their end, they will proverbially kill the goose that lays the golden egg. Or if new competition yet to come online, can establish what we really need to force a drop in prices: true ala cart.

Part of the reason we have so many channels is because of all of us, the consumers. We keep asking and demanding for more channels. I'm no different than the rest of the people on here, I get excited when I hear of a new channel. It's almost like getting a present. After about 10 years of this now we have hundreds of channels that have a small audience yet we still get excited when we hear of new channels and we want Dish to carry them.

It's seems that we are finally realizing that getting more and more channels is not the answer. We prefer to thin the channels out and focus on better quality programming.

 

[boba]

Part of the reason we have so many channels is because of all of us, the consumers. We keep asking and demanding for more channels. I'm no different than the rest of the people on here, I get excited when I hear of a new channel. It's almost like getting a present. After about 10 years of this now we have hundreds of channels that have a small audience yet we still get excited when we hear of new channels and we want Dish to carry them.

It's seems that we are finally realizing that getting more and more channels is not the answer. We prefer to thin the channels out and focus on better quality programming.

AMEN!

We really do need more quality in the programming and after almost a week of the new season offerings this WON'T be it.

 

[TheKrell]

Something has to be done about this socialist and extortionist system we have presently.

I agree, but why call it "socialist"? I would call it "regulatory capture" or good ol' fashion capitalist bribery.

Part of the reason we have so many channels is because of all of us, the consumers. We keep asking and demanding for more channels. I'm no different than the rest of the people on here, I get excited when I hear of a new channel. It's almost like getting a present.

I don't get excited any more because of the way these new channels evolve over time. They may start out good and targeted at a certain (small?) audience, e.g. sci fi or women or education, build up to a certain viewership, get bought out by some big conglomerate, and then get twisted into just another cheap reality show network of no interest to anyone in my family.

Who watches all that crap anyhow? Honey Boo Boo? I used to watch TLC all the time. No longer. I used to watch a lot of the SciFi channel. Now, it has TV wrestling. I defend the wrestler's right to make a living, but I'll be damned if I'll watch fake violence like that.

 

[the mack]

Something has to be done about this socialist and extortionist system we have presently.

Good luck with that.