Do you subscribe to cable/satellite just to have 1 or 2 channels?

Question

If so, which channel(s)?

FYI: History, ABC Family and the news channels (minus MSNBC) for me. I ralrely watch the other channels other than the local ones and USA for Law & Order repeats.

Oh, and I have cable, which is where I get my internet access.

Answer 1

This is an excellent question because it addresses a problem which the television providers refuse to rectify. Namely, that in a country where it is possible to customize nearly every purchase we cannot customize our television subscriptions and buy T.V. by the channel. We are forced into paying obscene amounts of money for a whole "package" of channels which we may not want or ever even watch. Then, to add insult to injury they tack advertisements on top of our subscription fee! To answer your question, NO I do not subscribe for one channel. I want to get the History channel, the Learning channel, and Discovery, and that is all. Until they package T.V. like everything else consumers get to purchase I will not buy subscription T.V. I cut my service in 2003 and have not looked back. And I'll tell you what, I noticed my children's attention spans improved, and the house seems less stressful without the background noise anymore.

Answer 2

What most people don't understand is that most channels are owned by the same company that owns around 10 other channels. Certain channels (Discovery, national geographic, the historychannel, ESPN, TLC, CNN, Fox News, A&E, MTV, Disney, Cartoon Network, USA, HGTV, Food Network, TNT, Animal Planet etc...) cost quite a bit to subscribe to. When you subscribe to those channels, they basically throw in the other 5 to 9 channels they own for a few pennies. For example, ESPN owns abc family, and therefore when your cable or satellite company subscribes to ESPN, they get abc family for a couple of pennies. The company that owns ESPN will not give you access to abc family without subscribing to ESPN. The cable and satellite companies don't have any control over that. If you were to subscribe to ESPN, Discovery, History, and Disney, you would probably pay somewhere around $24 a month just for these 4 channels, but for around $30 you can get the other 20 channels that are owned by the same companies that own these channels. Shopping networks are usually free to the cable and satellite companies as well. Most people would prefer to pay $28 for 30 channels, even if they rarely watch some of the channels, rather than pay $24 for access to four channels.
Legislature is currently reviewing a bill that passed preliminary hearings that would require all cable and satellite tv providers to offer all of their channels "a la carte" so that you could pick and choose your channel line up. Unfortunately for the consumer, legislature cannot require pricing adjustments by the companies that own the channel broadcasts. We all know that these broadcast giants will not allow themselves to lose money just because they have to offer their channels a la carte. Therefore, even if this bill passes, we will most likely not be able to take advantage of it in a way to where we can save ourselves that much money. A handful of people who literally do watch two specific channels may be able to cut out the rest of prgramming and save themselves a few bucks each month, but for the average household (with people of different ages and different interests), the package deals will be the best channel selection for the price.

Answer 3

Amen Cybeq!
I have always said that. They can't rip us off if we only payed for what we got. I only need 10 channels and I'd be happy, but the basic, which has like 20 channels doesn't include HGTV, TLC, Mtv, Disney, Nickelodeon, or Cartoon Network. (( I have 2 kids ))
We have cable TV, not the basic, but also not the movie channels.

Answer 4

I just have basic cable, no HBO or anything like that.

I don't know about anyone else, but it bothers me that I have to pay to watch television in my own home. You pretty much HAVE to have cable, because in my area, you can't even see the local channels without a cable connection! RIP OFF!!

Answer 5

Regular cable here. I've got about 40-50 channels, and I wish I could pick and choose which I got.

Answer 6

I don't but a friend of mine subscribed to cable just so he could watch the Steeler games. When the season was over he canceled his service.

Answer 7

Satellite. There's always 1 or 2 channels you'd like to have but they make you upgrade your package to get them.

Answer 8

Basic cable

Answer 9

i have over 180 channels i can watch...cable is not an option to me

Answer 10

only if i had the money. i know i like a few channels like cartoon network, discovery, tlc, history, animal planet. but even so i dont think its worth it. i dont watch much tv anyway.