A change is coming?

[pcostanza]

I've been wondering how the economy would shape the future of free TV and it looks like some things may change soon in the US. With the recent Comcast purchase of NBC and rumors of it buying Charter as well, shows that the model may be changing.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/national/80248102.html

[re-Barr]

That explains some of the PSA's that I have seen running lately about "keep free TV". Whoever the AP writer was for that article, they sure sounded like they do want this change to me. Must be a newspaper writer.

The way TV is changing is pretty bad right now. Everything seems to be in turmoil. And broadcasters are starting to talk about wanting a whole new portable broadcast too. What you think I will watch as I drive or something? I guess we can all look at what happened to radio in the 80's and shake our heads because broadcast TV will be 10 times worse off at the end of this.

But then again... maybe it is high time for the stations to drop their affiliations... Networks want to be compensated now where they used to compensate the affiliates. The networks will make last minute changes to programming like sports games and screw over the affiliates (cut off the end of a football game to show me the start of another? WHY?). And a lot of the programming stinks these days. I think NBC got bought out because they want to go out of business. That is the only explanation for some of their shows.

[nightwalker]

I was reading an article in the local newspaper here a day last week. I found it interesting that the stated reason for some or all of this is the networks are not getting the revenue from advertising they were expecting.

To me it seemed fairly simple, there isn't much on for an advertiser to crow about. 15 or more stupid reality shows, re-runs up the wazoo, stations playing the same movie all day long, and then there are the Law&Order and NCIS channels, etc. This goes for Network opinion shows trying to pass themselves off as News??

It goes on and on with one inane program after another. I don't think I've seen a network program in six months. It's sad to say but were it not for my wife and her soaps I probably wouldn't need GBpvr! Even sadder is with 1053 channels there is still nothing on, how can that possibly be?

The point here is, maybe were the networks to put something on worth watching, you know something geared for more than the average 10yo, they would get more advertising dollars.

[8ace]

hey... it's not all bad ... (a sober) Jack Bauer will show us the way in a few days

[Dave72]

The eyeball market and its associated ad revenue stream is drying up. Everyone is fighting for whats still left. Everyone's cost is (always) going up.

Too many choices for eyeballs now.. with the push for getting away from the tube for health's sake, to the gaining (slowly for the unwashed masses) popularity of net video, to the ever increasing selection of niche channels on dish/cable.. no wonder.

I think the money is going to end up between the broadband providers and product placement (or direct inline ads). Maybe they can figure some way to ppv all shows (would have to be in conjunction with the broadband providers)..

[soccerdad]

All of this has me really wondering what to do for the future. My cable bill has been going up and up. (internet and tv with Time Warner) I looked and found out that they are actually charging me more than what they list on their web site for my area for non-discounted service. I called and they are "offering" me a reduced rate by about 20 bucks a month, locked in for 2 years. But then when I asked more questions, I found that they would charge me $150 if I dropped them within the two years (prorated $15 every 3 months). I am happy enough with their system today, but with things starting to change, I really don't think I should lock in now.