Have you heard.... Free Broadcast TV may be comming to an end?
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
United States
January 3, 2010 11:22pm CST
I thought I had heard something about this so I thought I would search further online about it. Sure enough.... it may come to an end.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34619571/
I think the whole idea is bogus! Fine I understand adverstising revenues are down BUT did they also notice we also had to finish the conversion to HDTV as well??? And many found it easier than buying a converter box to just call the cable or dish company and get them to do the work of hooking it up to their old tv?
I spoke to my MIL about this and she said she will not pay for a service again and she will just watch movies via DVD @ home and get her news via the paper (wich may be good for the paper). And you know what I don't blame her!
I don't have paid tv as I can't see paying such a crazy fee for tv channels. And it's not like it's a decent rate, not here it isn't. When I had cable 9 yrs ago we were paying $55 a month.... what do you think it would be now???? Right now for many people I know keeping the bills paid and the food in the fridge is enough of a challenge & it was a challenge for us before the recession hit.
If such a thing happens do you think the cable prices would go down or stablize? Would your rely more on the internet for your television viewing? Or just go cold turkey and go back to the old fashioned newspaper to get your information?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
5 Jan 10
The only way this would work would be if the networks stopped broadcasting over the air and sold their signals only to cable or satellite. With the recent switch to digital, I'm not sure if this would happen. Broadcast channels can possibly send as many as 10 signals now instead of just the one they used to. A number of stations have already started broadcasting 4 signals in my general area. I would think over the air broadcasters would want to keep broadcasting for the near future to justify the expense of their new digital broadcast equipment. If the current networks stopped broadcasting over the air, I would expect someone with deep pockets (like a Bill Gates or Richard Branson or maybe Ted Turner) would buy up broadcast stations and start a new network. In the New York area, the opposite seems to be happening as Fox is trying to hold-up Comcast for more money to carry their stations. Fox's commercials are also rather bogus too because they are laying all the blame on Comcast and not saying that they want more money.
1 person likes this
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
5 Jan 10
I read more that Fox has charged Time-Warner $1 per subscriber to carry their network channels. The other networks may be considering the same thing. This wouldpush up everybody's cable rates.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
5 Jan 10
I read a lil bit of an article too saying that Comcast is majority shareholder now in NBC instead of G.E. So maybe that's part of it. Who doesn't want more money but in an economy that's going downhill you can't get milk from a turnip & nor expect the money resources to multiply.
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
6 Jan 10
I heard that Comcast bought NBC and there is some thought that they will take NBC's over the air broadcasts and move them to a cable only channel. I don't if that would be their plan or if they would just take NBC's shows and re-show them on a cable channel. I have to wonder how well NBC is doing anyway. Running Jay Leno five nights a week in prime time doesn't seem like great programming to me, although it's probably less expensive than buying new filmed shows. Remeber NBC was already taking shows like Law and Order and broadcasting them twice a week with reruns on Saturday nights.
@scarlet_woman (23465)
• United States
5 Jan 10
i wouldn't doubt it.we boxed ourselves in on that one.
it's funny-some countries you had to get a tv licence to watch and america had it free,but with cable it's like we voluntarily gave up that right.
they raise it much more,i'm gonna tell my bro to cancel it and keep the internet.about anything you want to watch is there somewhere anyway.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
5 Jan 10
I've never heard about having a tv license to watch tv, but I suppose things are not always the same elsewhere.
But you know I bet they'd start charging to view stuff on the internet too! 
Any lil way to line their pockets with things we've become so acustomed to. As I think hulu was supposed to go into a subscriber format sometime this year & it's currently free. But if Hulu goes subscription then they better get more recent shows and movies available IMO.
Any lil way to line their pockets with things we've become so acustomed to. As I think hulu was supposed to go into a subscriber format sometime this year & it's currently free. But if Hulu goes subscription then they better get more recent shows and movies available IMO.@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
6 Jan 10
In England and other European countries you needed to have a license for every TV. Those licenses were necessary because the countries owned the main broadcast networks, like BBC. The licenese paid for the shows but it also meant that there were NO commercials.
@ElicBxn (63252)
• United States
4 Jan 10
honestly, I get most of my news now from the internet or the radio - I do watch a bit of TV and most of that on cable - but nearly all of it I could probably figure out how to download.
But right now we have phone/internet/cable from Time Warner, so we have it packaged - I guess if we had to, we could let something go - probably the DVR first.
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
5 Jan 10
I wouldn't mind the package if the price they sell you on doesn't expire within X amt of time. Plus our house is not cable ready & I'd hate to know how much that would cost us to get the cables ran into the house.
I"m looking into actually getting a freestanding DVR since I don't have a service. Plus many shows on are not kid appropriate and if I can "tape" them & watch them at another time I'd be a happy girl.
1 person likes this
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
5 Jan 10
Hiya SnuggleBunnies. Wow, that would really suck if that is to happen. I don't have paid TV either. Even though I don't watch as much TV as I used to I still listen to it. I know my husband enjoys watching some of the shows that are on nowadays. And my youngest loves the Qubo channel. So, I know we'd miss it if it were to go. Sure, we can always rent or buy the DVD's, but it just isn't the same as being able to turn the TV on to our favorite shows.
If it does happen I think prices will either remain the same or go up. Probably go up as those that are willing to pay for such a service now would probably want to keep it, even if it means paying more. Though I could always be wrong.
If it does go in effect, I wonder what would happen if those that have it decided to stop getting it? Would it force TV to go back to being free? Or would TV land end as we know it?
1 person likes this
@3SnuggleBunnies (16374)
• United States
5 Jan 10
I hope TV doesn't end either. I too would miss even the most simplest of shows like the local news.
My kids would deinfatly miss Qubo! I don't know if I would or not *LOL* I know they have a couple cartoons I like on there but a 24 hr kid channel can get addicting for lil ones.
I think though if Broadcast disappears we'd have a big problem w/ the paid tv services. Then they can really jack up the prices because there are only so many choices for paid tv in the area & their big competitor being free broadcast tv would be gone.
However on the other hand I could do with one less electronic gadget / addiction in our lives.... you know make life a lil simpler again & a lil less instant gratification wouldn't hurt anyone!
1 person likes this
@burrito88 (2774)
• United States
6 Jan 10
Qubo is one of the new channels that is getting broadcast with the conversion to digital TV.
@dorannmwin (36392)
• United States
6 Jan 10
Well, we are cable customers and have been cable customers for many years. In my honest opinion, I don't think that free broadcast television will come to an end in the really near future. However, I think that it could happen in the future. The reason that I think it will take some time for this to happen is because of the fact that right now the cable companies have a monopoly in different communities. I think for in able for broadcast television to go defunct, the monopolies of cable companies will have to end. So, yes, if and when it does happen I do think the price of cable will be more reasonable.
