SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX | reply to Jason Levine
Re: They will get what they want
Smart idea about the preview channel. I only wish these ideas would actually sink into the heads of the people who actually make these decisions. |
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Jason Levine
Premium
join:2001-07-13
USA
| reply to SRFireside
I think this might be a good compromise between only offering packages and complete a la carte. Have a bare-bones default lineup which would include broadcast channels, shopping channels*, and a few of the most popular cable stations. Then let users either add on packages like they currently do (Sports, Movies, Kids, etc) or buy a "custom channel package" which would let the user select 5 of their favorite stations. Want more than 5 more stations? Buy another custom package and add 5 more stations. Repeat until you've got a lineup that suits you.
In addition, to help promote niche channels, cable companies could include a "Preview Channel" in the default lineup. This channel would take its content from a different non-default channel from week to week. This week it's HBO. Next week, it's Sci-Fi. The week after that it's Oxygen. You never know quite what you'll find on that station. That might help generate interest in niche (or recently added) channels.
* They pay the cable providers for access as opposed to the other channels which require the cable providers to pay them to air their content. That's why I'd add them by default.
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-Jason Levine
My Gallery | Jason's Toolbox | PCQandA.com | URateit.com |
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SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX
| reply to Fatal Vector
There is nothing wrong with niche channels. Some niche channels ended up becoming more than that after gaining popularity. There is a pretty simple solution to all of this. Have your standard cable come with a wave of default channels (HSN, public access, broadcast channels, weather channel, cooking channel, etc) and a list of choices from a secondary tier of channels (Sci-Fi, Comedy Central, A&E, TNT, etc). Say you can pick 5-10 from a list and if you want more you pay a little more for another block of channels. Then you have the special package you can add to that like a sports package, news package, movie package, etc).
The fringe channels that make cable so interesting still get their support, you get to choose the important channels you want to keep, and you can pay extra for the expensive channels if you WANT to. There. Was that so hard? |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
2 edits | reply to Fatal Vector
Like BBC is showing crap? Or Ovation? Or SCI FI? ESPN is showing crap as well because Im not into sports. CNN is also showing crap becasue I dont get my news from tv.
I wouldnt mind if those channels folded and disappeared but I WOULD mind if TLC folded because DAM IF I DONT LOVE ME SOME TRADING SPACES!
Let your cable company only offer the channels the MAJORITY want after the niches have folded and mine will offer everything that everyone wants and we will see at the end of the day which system works and which you wold rather live in.
In a broad way your would rather see cable ran like a communist country. No real choices. You must like what the majority likes.
People arent built that way.
Your comparing genre tv to movie channels in speaking about TW showing the same movies on all channels.
Premium movie channels already ARE ala cart. They wouldnt be affected by this ruling. |
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Fatal Vector
join:2005-11-26
| reply to CableTool
Then, Like I said previously. If the channel cannot compete and support itself, it will just have to go black and good riddance. There are far too many niche channels as it is, all playing the same crap over and over in rotation, like time warner. If you watch over the period of a couple months, you will see the same movie shown on all the time warner channels one after the other. |
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CableTool
Poorly Representing MYSELF.
Premium
join:2004-11-12
| reply to jeffs471
Because the cable cos put out XX amount of dollars for crud like FUSE and the smaller channels like BBC and SCI FI and such.
With only a minority of people subscribing to these channels and the channels themselves setting their own prices what do you think you will REALLY be paying?
No cable company is going to give you a channel for .99 when it costs them 6.50 per subscribed sub to offer it becasue the subscriber base is so low. They cant make money off of locals either.
Those that like ESPN and OVATION and other niche, genre channels will be paying through the nose for these channels.
Hell if Im going to pay the same Im paying now to receive 10 channles I REALLY REALLY want and not be able to view the other 200 or so channels I used to get for the same price. |
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