Okay, I'm squeezing this into the Media forum because I think it's the best fit. If we don't like here, suggest somewhere else...

The ongoing fight between DirecTV and Viacom is only the latest in disputes between networks and distributors. Distributors bundle television networks into packages we purchase for viewing. Networks may have several channels. Viacom, for example, had 26 on the DirecTV system. I wouldn't call any of the Viacom channels a "must have" for me. A handful might be the extent of their quality channels in my opinion.

Problem is that I can't purchase those channels separately. See, DirecTV makes a deal with Viacom to sell me all of the Viacom channels. It doesn't matter if I watch them or not. (Remember that saying? Something like 10000 channels and nothing on...) Viacom demands this sort of service from DirecTV because they make money on the subscribers. So to get CMT, I also have to get 25 other channels that I'm not going to watch.

Really, television would be a better deal for everyone (and we'd have less crap programming) if the distributors could carry the channels and sell them a la carte. The channels that don't get enough subscribers? Well they fold.

And it's not just a problem with DirecTV. Dish just lost AMC and a couple of others.

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How can actions that are wrong lead to a greater good? - Jean-Luc Picard (Star Trek)

150% agree.

One of the reasons I don't bother with TV anymore, other than the unbelievable biased (both ways) news shows that have been come Drama Central IMO, is the absurdity of the programming packages. No, I really don't want some of the drivel, I want NatGeo, History, Discovery, weather, and maybe a netwrk channel from each coast.... do I really need to pay $100 a month just to get those?

As with many things, by bundling what people do want with the garbage, they can charge more. I really don't see them doing a la carte any time soon, unfortunately.

So I just don't bother watching at all.

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"Try and fathom the hypocrisy of a Government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured, but not everyone must prove they are a citizen".

cnn, bbc, msnbc, comedy central, pbs. Maybe AMC or TCM. Thats all I care about.

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Truth, Justice and the American way

It's been time for it for a loooong time.

I didn't have any TV provider for some time, but when bought my house in the middle of bum**** this year, I had to get satellite internet. That meant a limit on what I could watch online as well as slow streaming speeds. So, I went ahead and got satellite TV.

I have a gazillion channels that NEVER watch. And, I don't even get some of the channels that I watch the most (abc, nbc, cbs, and fox). I pay $100/month to have access to about 10 channels that I watch. And, I just lost one of them with the viacom bull****. It's so ****ing stupid.

So, I pay 100 a month for LESS than 10 channels and to NOT be able to watch 5 of my favorite channels.

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You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Gypsy Soul Memories
Scuba Diver Life
Success Freaks

Past time in my opinion. Heck I would prefer no channels and just pay by the show. Kind of like Netflix.

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"I swear- by my life and my love of it- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine"- Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged

Republicans believe every day is the Fourth of July, but the democrats believe every day is April 15. ~ Ronald Reagan

Since CNN has become more centrist I spend most of my time there and on C-SPAN. Netflix covers the rest nicely for me,great movies,history and documentaries as well.I prefer "commercial free" tv shows like West Wing and many crime/forensic programs that I enjoy are commercial free,no need to fast forward through them!. With Netflix,we already have A La Carte Television..

I might add the history channel

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Truth, Justice and the American way

That's what I was doing. But now with satellite internet, I can't do it anymore.

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You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves. ~ Abraham Lincoln

Gypsy Soul Memories
Scuba Diver Life
Success Freaks

Hopefully...in time you will be back on the high speed grid. It took years for me to get a pipeline connection at my other home in the sticks,now my renters enjoy what I never had.I have high speed here at the condo and Netflix has really expanded their selections after all that bad pr over prices.