Hi all.
Never had cable television service. Never.
A young salesperson visit pushed me to get it. As they do not offer what I want in television, I declined. In further talk, I added the comment that additionally, I do not need to pay to see commercial advertisements.
Defiantly, he said 'Good luck with that'...
Do I remember wrong ? The cable television service was zero advertisements, movie after movie 24/7. Later they started pumping commercials double profiting... Am I wrong ? dreaming?

 

You remember wrong. You only get away from commercials on the pay to view premium channels. Rebroadcasting over the air channels always had commercials. Even cable channels included in the basic "for-free" package have always had commercials.

 

There was a time when "some" channels didn't show commercials. (at least not during the content)

IFC comes to mind.

 

For me, the DVR has virtually eliminated watching commercials. I record 95% of programs I watch, and fast forward through the commercials. I usually start watching NFL games an hour after kickoff and "catch up" right around the conclusion.

 

Now the local channels have some kind of beef with cable rebroadcasting them. Living 90 miles from a TV tower, the cable was a godsend compared to erecting a Rohn tower with rotor and expensive antenna and maintaining it in hurricane territory. Now instead of a big dish satellite systems, they are compact and much improved. The only cable I still have is the fiberoptic ISP feed.

 

What I can't understand is why the over-the-air broadcasters are allowed to charge the cable/satellite companies for rebroadcasting the content available over spectrum that is free to the broadcasters
It would seem that extending the audience for their commercial broadcasts would already increase their revenue, since they charge advertisers based upon the estimated number of viewers.
So, in effect, cable/satellite viewers are paying extra (I think about U$10 a month) to watch otherwise free over-the-air commercial broadcasts.
To me, something that is broadcast over free public airways should be free to be used or retransmitted by anyone without charge or restriction.
Obviously the broadcasters/networks are very good at lobbying and greasing some wheels in the FCC.

 

zero advertisements necessarily dosn't gurantee zero disaster,
many medias are used to tell lies and contradictories due to politics and power game eros,
some of them have now dared to stream the lies and disasters I see...

 

Now the local channels have some kind of beef with cable rebroadcasting them. Living 90 miles from a TV tower, the cable was a godsend compared to erecting a Rohn tower with rotor and expensive antenna and maintaining it in hurricane territory. Now instead of a big dish satellite systems, they are compact and much improved. The only cable I still have is the fiberoptic ISP feed.

That's an annual thing. Fortunately just about all broadcast are from a hilltop maybe 7 miles, if that from me. Here in the Cleveland, Ohio burbs I happen to like Fox 8 News for local news. Every year when this comes up while they argue the cable (I use Spectrum) drops Fox 8. So last year just out of curiosity I placed a paper clip in the antenna jack and hung about a 6" wire on it. Told the TV to go sniff out channels and ended up with something like 32 hits but no Fox 8. OK did some homework and Fox 8 Cleveland is the only VHF channel in the group. Bought a cheapie antenna (indoor) from Amazon and tacked it to the ceiling. Found all sorts of OTA (Over The Air) stuff and some pretty good programming.

All in all the two largest monthly bills we get are the cable and the cell phones. I am going to drop Verizon and a portion of Spectrum for things like HBO, all in all I found $40 I can cut on cable. My older Sony TV is not a smart TV and I got an Amazon Firestick since we have used Amazon Prime for years. All sorts of stuff on there too. Another few months and I should have things tweaked the way I want them.

Ron