Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Will recession bring the end of free TV?
The Washington Times ^ | December 30, 2009 | Andrew Vanacore

Posted on 12/30/2009 3:37:51 AM PST by mmanager

NEW YORK | For more than 60 years, TV stations have broadcast news, sports and entertainment for free and made their money by showing commercials. That might not work much longer.

The business model is unraveling at ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox and the local stations that carry the networks' programming. Cable TV and the Web have fractured the audience for free TV and siphoned its ad dollars. The recession has squeezed advertising further, forcing broadcasters to accelerate their push for new revenue to pay for programming.

That shift will play out in living rooms across the country. The changes could mean higher cable- or satellite-TV bills, as the networks and local stations squeeze more fees from pay-TV providers such as Comcast and DirecTV for the right to show broadcast-TV channels in their lineups.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: mediadeath; reporting; tv
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-54 last
To: whatisthetruth

Thank you. I am particularly looking for the Sugar Bowl televised by Fox January 1, 2010. Can’t tell if these two links are going to offer it.


41 posted on 12/30/2009 6:40:12 AM PST by poobear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: poobear

Check channelsurfing.net on Jan. 1 and scroll down to see if there’s a link. If you’re using Firefox with adblock, turn the adblock off.


42 posted on 12/30/2009 6:51:14 AM PST by Overtaxed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 41 | View Replies]

To: mmanager

It costs almost nothing to broadcast TV signals.

So if “free TV” goes, it will be because the makers of content can’t bring themselves to price their product at a level which the advertising will cover.

No more million-dollar paychecks for 2nd-rate TV actors.


43 posted on 12/30/2009 6:54:00 AM PST by CharlesWayneCT
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: mmanager

For all its faults, local broadcast TV still does things that cable can’t and won’t — like breaking out of regular programming to provide coverage of major storms bearing down on the area, tracking violent weather, and the like. When major storms are threatening, we always turn to one of the local stations, and they do that job well.

Ditto for local TV broadcast news. While some of it is puff pieces, some of it’s also valuable, including local crime reports, traffic problems, local politics, local sports, and as already mentioned, the local weather reports, etc. Usually in a metro area there’s at least one local broadcast channel that outperforms the other stations, and you can get a lot of information on what’s going on locally and regionally in a way that just doesn’t conveniently exist in any other way.

I do not watch the national news on CBS, NBC, ABC, etc. (though I do sometimes watch Fox News), but local news still has some value and isn’t always overly burdened with the liberal mindset of the national news. To have local broadcast go out of business would be a major loss. To have the national networks become extinct, except for Fox, wouldn’t be a major loss. There’d need to be some way to keep local stations and ensure their survival even if the national networks go the way of the dinosaur.


44 posted on 12/30/2009 7:07:22 AM PST by Jay W
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Overtaxed

Thanks, will do.


45 posted on 12/30/2009 7:12:01 AM PST by poobear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 42 | View Replies]

To: mmanager

I think we just need a government-option TV station. That’ll solve everything. /s


46 posted on 12/30/2009 7:31:47 AM PST by Lou L
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poobear
If it's not on channelsurfing.net, try justin.tv.
47 posted on 12/30/2009 10:17:30 AM PST by Overtaxed
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 45 | View Replies]

To: Overtaxed

Thanks, I’ll check it out. The Fox/Time Warner Contract might not resolve itself before the 1st.


48 posted on 12/30/2009 10:35:54 AM PST by poobear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 47 | View Replies]

To: mmanager
Title should read: "Will poor programming and reporting end free TV?"

I quit watching years ago. Nothing worth watching.

49 posted on 12/30/2009 12:20:49 PM PST by sionnsar (IranAzadi|5yst3m 0wn3d-it's N0t Y0ur5:SONY|Remember Neda Agha-Soltan|TV--it's NOT news you can trust)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: poobear
Sorry, it took me so long to reply. I am half-a-world away from you and slept. So, here I am now and I have some links that open in your browsers:

Having said that, you have to just search through the various "tv" applications. There is tvuplayer and watchtvrightnow (from watchtvrightnow.com), among others.

You are right to start early in setting it up because if you wait, you'll spend the entire game searching the 'net.

Good luck. The links work and then don't work and then work again. The main challenge is getting a fast enough baudrate in order to stream. I hope this helps.

50 posted on 12/30/2009 1:42:21 PM PST by Jemian (I believe there's a hell, but I didn't know it was down the street with a dome on it." Abe Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: mmanager

dinosaur media


51 posted on 12/30/2009 1:45:39 PM PST by NeoCaveman (Hey Ducks, fear the sweater vest)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TomGuy; thethirddegree

Good idea. Tracphone and Gophone. When I get over my disgust (and get back in the country!), I’ll keep those products in mind. My daughter said that I must have a cell phone and that eventually even her neanderthal dad would have one. HA! We’ll see about the last.

I used the camera feature on the phone more than I used the phone.


52 posted on 12/30/2009 1:45:58 PM PST by Jemian (I believe there's a hell, but I didn't know it was down the street with a dome on it." Abe Lincoln)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Jemian

I am most grateful. I’ll be setting several of these links up tomorrow. EST here. Take care!


53 posted on 12/30/2009 2:11:23 PM PST by poobear
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Claud

;-)


54 posted on 12/30/2009 8:43:46 PM PST by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously... You'll never live through it.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-54 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson