2006-07-11 02:27:52 · 9 answers · asked by lifejourney 2 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Television
TV is free in the US. I don't pay for it.
Some people think they "need" a lot of extra channels, and so they pay for cable television, with more channels and sometimes better reception (I say sometimes because I live in city with very good reception, but people who live further from city centers I think don't get stations as well). I think when you have a lot of money and luxuries, like we do in the US, you get a sense that you "need" things that you don't really, and so many people in the US pay for TV. I've never been to Africa, but I get the impression that most people don't have as much money as the average American, so I think that explains the discrepancy.
I don't know about other western countries, though!
2006-07-11 02:34:34 · answer #1 · answered by cay_damay 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I live in the US (western country) and I watch broadcast TV for free. I only pay if I want cable. I don't understand what you mean.
2006-07-11 02:33:35 · answer #2 · answered by gtoacp 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's usually free everywhere...
But here in South Africa we have to pay a TV licence fee (every single year) just for Free to air TV!
2006-07-11 02:31:25 · answer #3 · answered by David 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In South Africa we pay a yearly liscence fee for our free tv channels
2006-07-11 05:56:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have free TV in America. It's known as your local channels. You put an antenna up and you watch for free. What a novel concept!!! The only thing you have to pay for is cable channels/dish network/directtv.
2006-07-11 02:33:05 · answer #5 · answered by startwinkle05 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Watching television is free. The signal is not very good due to tall buildings, bridges, etc.
So, we have cable, which doesn't travel in the air, but through wire pick up.
If we want to spend more, there's digital cable.
Each step costs more and improves signal reception.
There are also pay channels - movies, special programs. You want more.. you pay more.
2006-07-11 02:34:08 · answer #6 · answered by lrad1952 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, there are many reasons, economical aswell as cultural reasons. The think tank i was part of (Novartis menstrum, Vienna) published a report on this question but limited it to north african countries (arab countries). We came to the conclusion that there are 3 main reasons: 1. Arabs are bored and if they hadn't television they would star raping their minor nieces again 2. Arabs are stupid, 3. Arabs are thiefs
2006-07-11 02:33:17 · answer #7 · answered by paliminka 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they aren't americans. Amercians charge you for air to put in your tires. Thank god we don't charge people to breathe air.
Then again we charge people to live, and if you don't believe me, have a baby and pay the hospital bill! Good thing it's only a one time fee.
We charge people "air time" for cell phones. We charge people for almost everything.
In a country of freedom of speech, I have to wonder, "Why are there phone bills?" :-D
2006-07-11 02:32:43 · answer #8 · answered by Amaki Owlaf 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because we are greedy, survival of the fittest
2006-07-11 02:29:21 · answer #9 · answered by tubbasaurus 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋