HDTV Almanac - Retransmission Saga Continues

[alfredpoor]

One step forward, maybe two steps back.
One major retransmission dispute is now resolved. After nearly two months, the Madison Square Garden (MSG) channels have been turned back on for Time Warner Cable (TWC) customers. This did not happen until the New York governor and state attorney general weighed in to put public pressure on both [...]

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[eliwhitney]

TO: alfredpoor

Good morning , Sir - -

Here, all of this week, our gas stations might just as well "stationed" a guy permanently w/ that long-handeled Pole & suction cup "thingie" to keep updating the gas prices!!! ...wicked, with LOTS MORE to come as soon as "they" dare!

That, in addition to $12.99 for a large can of generic coffee, $2.29 / pound for most varieties of apples, almost $4 / gallon now for milk etc., etc.. - - - without ANY "fear" of disagreements from others herein - - - the DAYS of simply accepting & accepting ever-greater local Cable Billings for LESS content are quickly coming to an end!

I see many "disconnects" on my Horizon as there are better / or, mandatory bills-needing-to-be-paid!

OR, at least, in my opinion!

eli

[alfredpoor]

Eli, prices are certainly on the rise. (I don't want to ignite a political discussion, but liberals and conservatives agree that when you print money, inflation has to follow eventually.) But inflation alone does not explain the rise of cable subscriptions. I've been trying to paint a picture of a system in transition, and unfortunately, I believe that a combination of factors have put pay-TV services in an untenable situation. The only thing the future holds for them is change, and unless they take an enlightened view (as perhaps DISH Network has), they are likely to lose out.

Alfred

[eliwhitney]

TO: alfredpoor

Not any doubt, local cable pricing HAS gone on a "rampage!" .... far over and above any sort-of-cost-of-living % ...
and, as you have amply-demonstarated, with LESS content!

... makes one wonder 'why' these massive Corporations appear to be so "Hell-bent" upon keeping their profits so high at the potential of Loosing it all ???

Thanks for your time & have a great week!

eli

[alfredpoor]

Ah, but Eli, the point is that most of this "extra" money is not going into the pockets of the pay-TV companies! It is going to the television networks and the content producers. Cable and satellite have no product without content, and they have no content of their own. So the providers have them over a barrel. The original revenue sources such as commercials are not producing the revenue that they once did (thanks to 500 channels and more), so the TV stations and the networks are trying to milk the cable companies for all they can in order to replace the lost income. Cable has to pass the increase along to their subscribers, but the cable company ends up looking like the bad guy because their name is on the bill. Subscribers don't view them as just an aggregator of services from other companies, and until we get a la carte pricing, that won't change.

The problem is that I don't think pay-TV could survive a switch to a la carte pricing, and it would probably bring down a lot of the content creators and distributors as well.

Interesting times, to be sure.

Alfred