Cable TV’s Big Worry: Taming the Web

[Mark Holtz]

From New York Times:

Cable TV’s Big Worry: Taming the Web What is at stake is perhaps the last remaining pillar of the old media business that has not been severely affected by the Internet: cable television. Aware of how print, music and broadcast television have suffered severe business erosion, the chief executives of the major media conglomerates like Time Warner, Viacom and NBC Universal have made protecting cable TV from the ravages of the Internet perhaps their top priority.

“The majority of profits for the big entertainment companies is from cable programming,” said Stephen B. Burke, the president of Comcast, the nation’s largest cable company.FULL ARTICLE HERE (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/media/24pay.html?_r=1&ref=technology)

[GaryPotter]

Well, here's some thoughts:

1. End ALL onscreen ads during shows.

2. Stop never ending marathons.

3. Don't stretch non-HD content.

4. Stop censoring movies.

There ya go.

[Shades228]

Well, here's some thoughts:

1. End ALL onscreen ads during shows.

2. Stop never ending marathons.

3. Don't stretch non-HD content.

4. Stop censoring movies.

There ya go.

1: Agree

2: Can take it or leave it depending on the show

3: More people complain about bars on screen then stretched programming. If people really cared about PQ they wouldn't sub to cable.

4: They would have to charge more per channel and compete with the premium stations to make it worthwhile as far as studio contracts.


The key is learning what the print companies did wrong. They gave out their product for free. Free is a not a business model that will allow companies to sustain.

[Ashtonian]

Well, here's some thoughts:

1. End ALL onscreen ads during shows.

2. Stop never ending marathons.

3. Don't stretch non-HD content.

4. Stop censoring movies.

There ya go.

what's with the fuzzy bits huh? I'm over 21

[WrongCheese]

Don't worry. If cable cos lose their revenue from the TV service they will simply charge a lot more for internet. Besides if this was really the case and people started watching things online, DBS providers would be in deep trouble.

[LarryFlowers]

FUD...

We aren't even close to this becoming an issue. The average internet connection speed in the USA is 2.3Mb/s or 287 kilobytes per second. People in this country have a hard time hooking up a DVR. Someone is going to have to make it real easy to deliver internet to the tv set.

What we have now is good for at least the next 10 years. Will internet delivered content become increasingly available? Of course. Will it take the place of satellite or cable... not any time soon.