Everyone deserves consumer choice, right?

Consumers can choose where to buy groceries, gas, phone, Internet and
most other goods and services. The exception? Cable TV. Learn how to

Larry Bud...

Ridiculous. You can buy from several satellite companies, or not buy
at all.

Ryan...

True, while I feel cable rates are insane, you can indeed choose from
several satelite companies in most areas and phone companies are
starting to roll our TV service in selected markets. It is VERY rare

telenovels...

Problem: Whether you choose Cable or Satellite, you are still required
to take their 70 channel, ~$40 a month service as a minimum. So you
have the "choice" but it's only the choice of very-expensive vs.
very-expensive service.

Patty Winter (patty1...

You can also get just local stations, for much less per month.

The original author wants to have the choice to take only 5 or 6 of
your favorite channels for $10-15 a month.

He wants cheaper options AKA ala-carte.

Patty Winter (patty1...

Unfortunately, the cable and satellite distributors don't purchase
channels separately themselves, so it's not surprising that they don't
turn around and offer them separately to their subscribers.

that someone is stuck with no choice but to pay for cable.

Larry Bud...

In fact, it's non-existant. Cable isn't a right, nor is it required to
live. The choice of "no cable" is a choice.

Cable rates should be cut, but competition from satelite and phone
companies should do that in coming years.

rst...

The Dolans want to privitize Cablevision. That's the tipoff right
there that the party is almost over for them.

Shawn Hirn...

Not true. There are only two satellite companies (in the United States),
not several. Many people, including me, also are not able to set up a
satellite dish due to landlord restrictions.

Larry Bud...

There is an FCC law that FORCES landlords to allow you to set up a dish
in certain areas. Your landlord is breaking the law:

Bob Ward...

Not necessarily. The FCC ruling does not force the landlord to create
a clear view of the southern skies for the areas under your personal
control - The law does stipulate that a dish can be placed on the
property, but not that the placement will be effective.

Larry Bud...

Fair enough, but the FCC or any cable company doesn't prevent anybody
from moving to a place that has a clear view of the southern sky either.

Bob Ward...

We're all handsome and independently wealthy here, sure.

Larry Bud...

So moving from one apartment to the same sized or smaller apartment
requires one to be wealthy?

So you have cable, OTA (over the air), Dish Network, DirecTV, or
nothing at all. How many choices do you want? The OP said that you

Ed Stasiak...

So you have Rice Krispies, Frosted Flakes, Raisin Bran,
Capt Crunch or nothing at all. How many choices do you
want?...

don't have a choice, which is false.

Ed Stasiak...

Correct, what should have been said is that the vast majority
of consumers have a _very limited choice_ when it comes to
who supplies their TV signal.

David Johnston...

Nope. A duplicate cable system costs too much to build.

Larry Bud...

Exactly my point. Some people here are complaining that they have "no
choice" but to buy their local cable, when obviously they have a choice
not to buy it, or go several other routes (OTA, satellite).

Then they scoff at that idea because it still isn't "choice" (how they
figure deciding on 4 or 5 options isn't choice is beyond me).... so
what's their solution? To force some other company to get into the
cable TV business?

akjack...

I believe the point was that a consumer doesn't have a choice
in selecting a cable company. Most communities contract with
a single cable provider, while there is a choice between two satellite
service providers.

The satellite or OTA options are not available to everyone depending
on where one resides.

How many cable companies are there in the U.S. compared
to how many are available in your home town, and compare
that to how many brands of breakfast cereal are available at
the corner grocery store.

There are only two cable co's in my town, (and rates are
essentially the same, what a surprise...) I don't consider
that much of a choice.

Kevrob...

There's only 1 cable company in my town. If someone lives in an
apartment building unit that doesn't have a good view of the sky,
and/or doesn't have a balcony or some other space under his exclusive
control, he's stuck with the one choice. Maybe he can talk his
landlord into letting him put an antenna elsewhere on the building and
stringing wire to his unit, but that's got to be a pain. So maybe there
are only 2 choices: cable or OTA.

Also, in many cities apartment dwellers using "rabbit ears" get crummy
signals, especially if a newer, taller building is put up near your
flat. Nothing plays hob with a weak signal like a 10 story steel frame
being built on your block. So, many people get cable just to get a
dependable signal. Video over a DSL line or wireless internet might be
an improvement.

Bob Ward...

The programming is essentially the same, too - so what's your point,

Ed Stasiak...

The similarity of programming is just another problem that
results from the lack of choice available to the consumer, a
closed system like the cable industry encourages conformity
and mediocrity in the entertainment industry.

Ed Stasiak...

The taste stays the same but the effect on my wallet can
vary greatly, when there are dozens of different stores
where I can buy those corn flakes.

And because competition exists within the breakfast cereal
industry, if I don't like corn flakes there are all kinda other
cereal manufacturers who are more then eager to sell me
something different.

again? Do cornflakes really taste better if they come in a yellow
box?

I just find it amazing what people try to pull when complaining about
cable and some other industries, claiming "monopoly" when there is
none. Newsflash: There is no RIGHT to cable TV.

Shawn Hirn...

Try again. My apartment faces the opposite direction of the satelites'
orbits. This rule would not allow me to do anything to install a
satellite antenna.

Bob Ward...

As I said in a previous message, it DOES allow you to install an
antenna on property that is reserved for your exclusive use. That
doesn't mean that they have to provide a southern view to see the
satellites, though.

Larry Bud...

Unregulated my ass. There's NOTHING in this country that is
unregulated. But the fact remains that you don't HAVE to buy cable.

Greg Rozelle...

That depends where you live. I live fair away from the local tv
stations, even with an outsides antenna I could not get all of my
local stations.

I do get the basic for 15.14 a month. Not all cable companies have
that service yet.

Greg Rozelle

Bob Ward...

You don't HAVE to watch TV at all - perhaps if you learned to read?

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