Customers Dropping Cable TV As Economy Crashes

[JGeropoulas]

Finally a bright spot in the economy

This is a small example of how bad times can bring about good changes. It was a pleasant surprise to see that Americans could still think well enough to prioritize TV as a non-essential expense.

NEW YORK — TV subscribers are ditching their cable companies at an ever faster rate the past few months, and many aren't signing up with a satellite or phone competitor.

CEO Landel Hobbs, said the company doesn't see evidence of people dropping cable in favor of the Internet. He said the biggest subscriber losses have been among people who don't have cable broadband services...

"The price of cable TV has risen to the point where it's simply not affordable to lots of lower-income homes. And right now there are an awful lot of lower-income homes," Sanford Bernstein analyst Craig Moffett says. "The evidence suggests that what we're seeing is a poverty problem rather than a technology phenomenon."

Time Warner Cable lost 155,000 video subscribers in the July-September quarter, compared with 64,000 a year ago.

_http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2010-11-05-cable-tv-subscribers-drop_N.htm

 

[mada85]

Well, that is interesting. What's the betting we'll soon see a raft of special offers so people can have their TV back at knock-down prices?

 

[The rabbit]

Well, that is interesting. What's the betting we'll soon see a raft of special offers so people can have their TV back at knock-down prices?

Not if times up!

 

[Buddy]

Well, that is interesting. What's the betting we'll soon see a raft of special offers so people can have their TV back at knock-down prices?

Well, anything else would be a sucker bet, I'd bet. :D

The Cable folks would love to continue eating their Twinkies, I imagine.

 

[Zaphod]

Well, that is interesting. What's the betting we'll soon see a raft of special offers so people can have their TV back at knock-down prices?

Not if times up!

Don't know what it's like in other countries, but here in the UK you can grab some bargains in this area. Neither my wife nor myself care for TV, and only have a satellite connection because of the kids. They've grown up and are away from home for a good portion of the year, so each time we're left on our own again, my wife calls up the cable company to cancel the subscription entirely, on the grounds there isn't anything on that's worth the time spent watching it. In fact, my wife has gone somewhat further and stated that the Sky channels were an utter insult to the intellect to anyone with a mental age above 10, and utterly offensive to everyone else.. anyway, I'm digressing a bit

The point is, we've had free equipment upgrades, knocked down channel packages offered to us (that we weren't really interested in), reductions in monthly charges etc .. I guess that's the power of being genuinely prepared to walk away

 

[HiThere]

:D good for you Beeblebrox, I hope to get there myself in some years, but the kids love their TV so far.

 

[abstract]

Makes you wonder what else people will stop paying for. Me and my buddy actually started playing cards instead of video games or watching TV together, and we can spend 4-5 hours on cards where
TV gets boring in an hour.

 

[RyanX]

Makes you wonder what else people will stop paying for. Me and my buddy actually started playing cards instead of video games or watching TV together, and we can spend 4-5 hours on cards where
TV gets boring in an hour.

Yup, I do the same with my daughters. If we have a spare hour or two (which is usually rare), we get out the cards. Their favorites are Phase 10 and Monopoly Deal, but we've played traditional card games as well like Penny Poker, Hearts, Crazy 8's, etc.

For the record though, we're not total Luddites when it comes to TV. We usually have a movie night every weekend I have them. Although, we get by without cable service. So far they haven't complained.

 

[mkrnhr]

maybe some people will be back to talk to each other sometime :)

 

[abstract]

Yup, I do the same with my daughters. If we have a spare hour or two (which is usually rare), we get out the cards. Their favorites are Phase 10 and Monopoly Deal, but we've played traditional card games as well like Penny Poker, Hearts, Crazy 8's, etc.

Oh cool. We've been playing magic: the gathering, y'know, just nerdin' out.

For the record though, we're not total Luddites when it comes to TV. We usually have a movie night every weekend I have them. Although, we get by without cable service. So far they haven't complained.

Yeah, I can't exactly say that I never watch a movie or a couple episodes of 'buffy' or whatever. I sure don't sit in front of the TV for 4 hours anymore though.

 

[deleven]

That's certainly good news. Spending time in Vermont I found that the absence of TV made for actual human interaction at family time. We all sat around a table and ate together. Fun time would be going over to friends houses and playing games like Cranium, not so much standard card games. Lots of fun and did much to help get over shyness. The teens loved to participate too. :P

 

[Starlight]

We decided on no cable TV about 2 years ago. Our house is the only house in our neighbourhood without a satelite dish on our roof!

Kids get limited hours on "screen entertainment", and we embarked on lots of card games and board games like Magic: the gathering, Munchkins, Settlers, Chess, Checkers, Yatzi and traditional card games :)
It really brings them to socialize and interact with us more! :D

 

[mistah charley ph.d.]

We had no cable TV for ten years. When analog broadcasting stopped, we tried to get by with the broadcast digital, but our location meant that only a very few channels came in when using an indoor antenna. We might have gone to roof antenna, but instead we went to the minimal cable package and bundled it with broadband internet (before we were using dial-up).

 

[JGeropoulas]

Makes you wonder what else people will stop paying for. Me and my buddy actually started playing cards instead of video games or watching TV together, and we can spend 4-5 hours on cards where
TV gets boring in an hour.

Yup, I do the same with my daughters. If we have a spare hour or two (which is usually rare), we get out the cards. Their favorites are Phase 10 and Monopoly Deal, but we've played traditional card games as well like Penny Poker, Hearts, Crazy 8's, etc.

For the record though, we're not total Luddites when it comes to TV. We usually have a movie night every weekend I have them. Although, we get by without cable service. So far they haven't complained.

A few years ago, an engineer developed a debit card system for television viewing time. The intent was to have means for parents to control the amount of time, as well as teach kids to manage their allotted time for TV viewing.

I thought it was a great idea. Of course, to my knowledge, it never made it to the marketplace. You can imagine who probably bought the patent.

 

[Mayb]

Well , here on Balkan situation with crysis and cable subscripton relation is different . I am in cable business for almost 10 years and have notice that every time when some economy crash arise(well , we dont have crashes here , we do not even have brakes in cryses actually ) operators mark some subsrciber increasement.
I guess beacuse of bad financial situation people choose to stay home in the evening in front of the TV with some bottle of juice which is cheaper then glass of juice somehere in town , maybe invite some friends ...
Cable subscription fee is not that high comparing with other markets, it is approx 4-6 eur per month for almost 80 channels. So average citizen thinks, 80 channels 4 eur, that is better than to pay cinema ticket or some kids entertaiment outside . On the other side internet is still under monopoly therefore expensive and slow service. Just from last year things start to be better with internet offers.