The beginning of the end for cable/satellite TV?

[Prolongus]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/long-c...?.tsrc=applewf

Fine by me. I'm sick and tired of subsidizing Nickelodeon, MTV and a bunch of other channels I'll never watch.

[Gotyour6]

Government needs to stay the fuck out of things.

They have never done anything that has been good.

[chicagoboy]

As I read it, this initiative would not change the way cable (and satellite) companies bundle channels; it would only end the their monopoly on supplying the control boxes. It should have been enacted years ago.

[Gotyour6]

Why do I feel that the cost will go up because of them "helping"

[chicagoboy]

Breaking the phone companies' monopoly on supplying home phones led to tremendous innovation AND lower prices. Competition is good for the consumer.

[python54]

Personally I haven't owned a TV in more than 10 years. I stream all my content via the Internet and seem to find most current and vintage programming commercial free. There is tons of entertainment and educational programs around, but if you don't think outside the box and just do the social norm then things don't change. On the rare occasion that I watch commercial cable TV I feel that I'm constantly bombarded with advertising telling me what to watch, buy, and what my lifestyle should be like. I do use a cable company but for Internet only. They do their best to push me to "Bundle" services for things I don't need. I save $ and watch what interests me. Don't be a clone sitting on the sofa with a bag of chips and the big screen TV we MUST all own these days.

OK, yep that was my oddball editorial, please don't feel that I'm judging others by my non-mainstream choices. I'm OK with whatever works for any individual. I also realize that I'm an eccentric but I wanted to share that there can be choices outside the box.

As Timothy Leary would say "Question Authority". OK so yes I'm an old hippie but I feel it still holds true and the origin of the saying dates back to Socrates.

[Prolongus]

Originally Posted by chicagoboy

As I read it, this initiative would not change the way cable (and satellite) companies bundle channels; it would only end the their monopoly on supplying the control boxes. It should have been enacted years ago.

Your are correct in the way the FCC wants to do this. Was getting ahead of myself but if the FCC sees the folly in paying for boxes, eventually they'll realize consumers are being ripped off subsidizing channels that 2% of the population watches. Hopefully the FCC will force cable/satellite companies to offer a la carte programming.

BTW, HD indoor antennas work great. I have one in my back room, the channels come in crisp and I get about 14-16 of them.