bugabuga
join:2004-06-10
Austin, TX
| As usual
Panic and horror. Except a la carte is not mandated to replace standard "buy a bucket of sh... and dig in it for your diamonds" programming packages. Simply would be offered in addition to.
But customers should not concern themselves with such irrelevant details.
Bleh.
p.s. diversity is nice, as long as it's not sponsored out of a pocket of someone who won't benefit from it.
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Странные новости почти каждый день |
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Camelot One
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-21
Austin, TX
clubs:
 ·VoicePulse
| Oh come on now. If we weren't forced to subsidize channels like WE, BET, and Oxygen, they couldn't stay on the air! No one is going to pay for that crap. But as it is, the 3 people who want to watch those channels can, thanks to the combined pool of all of us.
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Intel Quad Core QX6700 @3500Mhz/Asus P5N32-E SLI/4x 1024Mb Corsair/Seagate 750.10/PNY 7800GTs SLI/Silverstone 850W/Custom water cooler |
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beaups
join:2003-08-11
Hilliard, OH
| really this is wild economics...if people were to pay by channel...and a channel could not survive because not enough people want it...then it should die, no?
I mean, if I sell a product that is not profitable unless I force people who DO NOT WANT IT to pay for it anyways...isn't something wrong with my business model??? lol |
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soothsayer15
join:2002-03-01
Irving, TX
 ·Verizon FIOS
 ·Verizon Online DSL
edit:
April 16th, @04:09PM
| reply to Camelot One
said by Camelot One  :Oh come on now. If we weren't forced to subsidize channels like WE, BET, and Oxygen, they couldn't stay on the air! No one is going to pay for that crap. But as it is, the 3 people who want to watch those channels can, thanks to the combined pool of all of us. That's ignorant to say no one would subscribe to those channels. The world doesn't revolve around what you like (read:you have no girlfriend or kids).
That being said, content providers know that few people would subscribe to all of those channels without them being bundled. Most of those extra channels are just extra revenue streams since they charge per subscriber.They can hold cable and satellite companies hostage by forcing them to take the extra if they want to provide popular channels.
If cable companies want MTV or BET, they have to take 4 other MTVs and BET Jazz. Want CNN, you have to get CNN International, TruTV, Headline News, and CNN World. Don't even get me started on Disney with their channels and ESPN. Content providers are the REAL reason why everyone's cable bills keeps rising. |
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bugabuga
join:2004-06-10
Austin, TX
| reply to Camelot One
So? If they can't get enough paying public the question becomes where does it end. Five channels? Twenty? Fifty? Where do you draw a line of subsidies and why exactly there.
For example I don't want to subsidise five shopping channels and five religious channels.
Biggest fear of small channels is that advertisers will know exactly how many people subscribe and watch them, and slash their rates (because they can't claim everyone who signed up for an extended cable package to be "semi-regular viewer").
Again, for those who like the idea of helping out small channels, packages would be available like before. Nobody forces you to switch to a-la carte, if you don't want to.
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Странные новости почти каждый день |
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PaulHikeS2
join:2003-03-06
Merrimack, NH
| said by bugabuga :For example I don't want to subsidise five shopping channels and five religious channels. I realize this is just a small portion of your point, but you don't subsidize them. Those channels actually pay the provider for carriage. In effect, they subsidize your bill.
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Jay: What the @#$% is the internet??? |
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pnh102
Reptiles Are Cuddly And Pretty
Premium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD
| reply to beaups
said by beaups :really this is wild economics...if people were to pay by channel...and a channel could not survive because not enough people want it...then it should die, no? Didn't they say the same thing about certain banks? 
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This isn't fair! I was only supposed to hate just ONE presidential candidate! |
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PhoenixDown
-- Ron Paul 2008 --
Premium
join:2003-06-08
Fresh Meadows, NY
clubs:  | reply to Camelot One
Yeah and it would be hard for the cable companies to explain their rate hikes when you decide to leave all the sports packages out! |
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nasadude
join:2001-10-05
Rockville, MD
 ·Comcast
| reply to PaulHikeS2
said by PaulHikeS2 :I realize this is just a small portion of your point, but you don't subsidize them. Those channels actually pay the provider for carriage. In effect, they subsidize your bill. bzzzzzzt! wrong answer. Every time cable bills go up, the cablecos blame it on the increased cost of programming.
if Disney jacks up the rate of their new "bundle" because it includes a program nobody wants to watch, the cost gets passed straight on to you know who.
in the DC area, the comcast sports network was refusing to carry the Nationals games because 1) transmission rights were owned by another group (the real reason they bitched) and 2) they claimed they would have to raise rates (the truth? who knows). The pressure was too much, comcast caved, then promptly added $1.50 to every local customers bill.
no subsidizing going on for us, we're the marks in this carnival. |
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PaulHikeS2
join:2003-03-06
Merrimack, NH | You apparently didn't read the post. It was referring to shopping and religious channels only.
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Jay: What the @#$% is the internet??? |
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TWC Ate My Baby
@mindspring.com | reply to beaups
quote:
I mean, if I sell a product that is not profitable unless I force people who DO NOT WANT IT to pay for it anyways..
Sounds like Microsoft's business plan for Vista. |
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BF69
join:2004-07-28
Camden, TN
| reply to Camelot One
said by Camelot One :Oh come on now. If we weren't forced to subsidize channels like WE, BET, and Oxygen, they couldn't stay on the air! No one is going to pay for that crap. But as it is, the 3 people who want to watch those channels can, thanks to the combined pool of all of us. "Thanks for the support"
-signed Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin |
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en102
Canadian, eh?
join:2001-01-26
Valencia, CA
·RoadRunner Cable
·DSL EXTREME
·DSL EXTREME
| reply to beaups
There's 2 sides to this issue:
1. I agree that a la carte and bundling should be available. 2. Prices will increase, and probably 3/4 of the channels would disappear or become too expensive.
TV (cable, satellite, FiOS, etc.) are all based on the following:
a) Management wants a minimum of ~$40 from you to support TV service. They currently want as much from you as you are willing to pay.
b) Management has to PAY for some channels... others (HSN, Shopping) are basically 'free', and others are sold - bundled by big media (Disney, ABC, ESPN, Big10).
Why not have a pseudo a la carte?
Basic package = x ($35-$40 range to keeps the basics happy), then a la carte and bundles after that ?
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Canada = Hollywood North |
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hottboiinnc
Kyle
join:2003-10-15
Toledo, OH | reply to PaulHikeS2
You don't pay for the shopping networks. THEY pay the cable companies to be carried. |
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Camelot One
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-21
Austin, TX
clubs: | reply to beaups
Clearly I should have used the "sarcasm" tag, as my bold examples weren't enough to relay it. |
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dvd536
as Mr. Pink as they come
Premium
join:2001-04-27
Phoenix, AZ
| reply to beaups
said by beaups :really this is wild economics...if people were to pay by channel...and a channel could not survive because not enough people want it...then it should die, no? YES! then that would free up bandwidth for channels people DO want
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When I gez aju zavateh na nalechoo more new yonooz tonigh molinigh - Ken Lee |
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Camelot One
Premium,MVM
join:2001-11-21
Austin, TX
clubs:
·VoicePulse
| said by dvd536 :said by beaups :really this is wild economics...if people were to pay by channel...and a channel could not survive because not enough people want it...then it should die, no? YES! then that would free up bandwidth for channels people DO want Sadly, IF that were to happen, we'd have the "Survivor" channel, the "American Idol" channel, and 22 addition channels for their spin offs, running the shows 24/7.
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Intel Quad Core QX6700 @3500Mhz/Asus P5N32-E SLI/4x 1024Mb Corsair/Seagate 750.10/PNY 7800GTs SLI/Silverstone 850W/Custom water cooler |
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Thespis
join:2004-08-03
Keller, TX
·Verizon FIOS
edit:
April 19th, @07:34AM
| reply to bugabuga
Let's see...
The public has a "right" to buy a product in whatever fashion they choose, but the producer of the product doesn't have the right to sell his product in the manner he chooses.
All this talk about free market economics and letting channels die if nobody watches them, but nobody blinks at the notion of making laws to force a content producer to market his product in a specific way.
What country is this again? |
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