The Weird and The Wacky Meet

Where YouBetIAm comes to write….

Media Diary 6:  Cable Television

Are you a cable subscriber?  Why or why not?  At what level?  Why that level?  Have you added to the industry’s churn?  Why or why not?

 

I subscribe to cable because the programming on basic and premium channels is much more appealing to me as a television viewer.  I appreciate the variety and specificity of channels, and I like the fact that their programming is not subject to the FCC regulations that force network television to censor their content.  Network TV may be free, but it is all too often a case of getting what you paid for.

                 My subscription includes a variety of premium channels and HBO On Demand.  I’m something of a movie freak, and with TiVo and a premium package, it’s like having my own personal video store.  I have the TiVo search for a movie and record it, then I watch it at my leisure.  HBO On Demand is only $5 a month but gives me access to any of the episodes aired, even from prior seasons, as well as to many movies.  The HBO original series alone make it worth my while.  While I particularly enjoy Carnivale, Six Feet Under and Deadwood, I find that any series produced without the burden of FCC regulations is made better for it.

                 I’ve pretty much been a Cablevision subscriber my entire adult life, so I haven’t added to the industry’s churn.  I subscribe to an Internet add-on through Cablevision’s Optimum Online brand, and it just seems like too much of a pain to switch, especially.  Besides, I like my cable modem and I am not about to give it up, especially since it’s faster than DSL.  There aren’t a lot of places in Connecticut that offer a similar feature for a similar price, so I’ve pretty much stayed with one cable company, even though I’ve been tempted by DIRECTV.

Copyright 2005

by Amanda Evans

Date: 05/03/05