4 ms·

As much as I want that to be the case, "A television broadcast that doesn't come in free over the airwaves isn't a broadcast show" type sentiments didn't stop c

As much as I want that to be the case, "A television broadcast that doesn't come in free over the airwaves isn't a broadcast show" type sentiments didn't stop cable, and while cable started with a nicer, often ad-free offering, the advantages faded as it grew, balkanization of channel offerings eventually came, etc. Operating a local television station in the US today now requires collaboration with these companies, and they have little incentive to work effectively with smaller local players. They can get nationally syndicated shows through their originating networks, and only really need to bow to local interests at all for highly localized things like news (and even that's dying rapidly). These open spaces and preferred arrangements have to be defended or they will die.

scarface74 7y ago
Cable was never an ad free alternative. That’s a popular meme.
- chungus_khan 7y ago
  A large number of premium, cable-exclusive channels were at one point. Broadcast channels weren't, but that wasn't a disadvantage, and those premium channels brought a lot to the table. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/arts/will-cable-tv-be-invaded-by-commercials.html https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/arts/will-cable-tv-be-inv...
  - scarface74 7y ago
    Those few premium channels that you paid extra for on top of your regular cable build were ad free and still are.
    - chungus_khan 7y ago
      Some of them are, especially movie-related ones, but special interest and news channels generally run ads now. This also isn't really relevant to my point and I never said that cable used to be ad-free, but rather that there used to be a more prominent attraction to it due to some ad-free content offerings.
- JohnFen 7y ago
  I remember when cable first came to my city. They marketed it heavily as being an ad-free alternative to broadcast TV. That was not a myth.
  - scarface74 7y ago
    Cable TV was first created to deliver broadcast TV. Where do you think all of the content came from? Second run syndication of broadcast TV supported by advertising and premium channels that you paid extra for. It wasn’t until maybe 15 years ago that cable channels started producing their own non reality content.
smoyer 7y ago
Cable TV started as a way for people in mountainous areas to get signal to their sets ... not as an ad-free alternative to broadcast TV. At the time, over-the-air networks were received by the cable TV companies and sent down the wires (coaxial cable), so the reality is that the subscribers were paying for free television when they couldn't receive the signal directly at their location.
- chungus_khan 7y ago
  That was definitely the case for early cable, but at the point where it was receiving wide adoption one of the main selling points for non-isolated customers was premium cable-only channels, which at the time were generally ad-free or very sparse with adverts. Broadcast channels always had adverts, but those weren't the selling point for wide adoption.
  - scarface74 7y ago
    That hasn’t changed. The same “premium only” content without ads is still ad free. Early cable channels like TBS always had ads.
    - chungus_khan 7y ago
      A lot of specialty and news content that used to be ad-free or relatively low-ad-content isn't anymore, but this also isn't really relevant to my point and I never said that cable used to be ad-free, but rather that there used to be a more prominent attraction to it due to some ad-free content offerings.
      - scarface74 7y ago
        That ad free content still exists - HBO and similar channels. The same content that was originally ad free. But now, we are actually in a golden age of having ad free content for TV. Of course you have Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. But you also have Hulu’s ad free tier that offers content from NBC, ABC, and the Fox networks without ads and you have CBS All Access. You can also get ad free content from AMC. Someone has to pay for the content. If you are willing to pay for ad free video, there are plenty of options.

scarface74 7y ago

Cable was never an ad free alternative. That’s a popular meme.

chungus_khan 7y ago
A large number of premium, cable-exclusive channels were at one point. Broadcast channels weren't, but that wasn't a disadvantage, and those premium channels brought a lot to the table. https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/arts/will-cable-tv-be-invaded-by-commercials.html https://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/26/arts/will-cable-tv-be-inv...
- scarface74 7y ago
  Those few premium channels that you paid extra for on top of your regular cable build were ad free and still are.
  - chungus_khan 7y ago
    Some of them are, especially movie-related ones, but special interest and news channels generally run ads now. This also isn't really relevant to my point and I never said that cable used to be ad-free, but rather that there used to be a more prominent attraction to it due to some ad-free content offerings.
JohnFen 7y ago
I remember when cable first came to my city. They marketed it heavily as being an ad-free alternative to broadcast TV. That was not a myth.
- scarface74 7y ago
  Cable TV was first created to deliver broadcast TV. Where do you think all of the content came from? Second run syndication of broadcast TV supported by advertising and premium channels that you paid extra for. It wasn’t until maybe 15 years ago that cable channels started producing their own non reality content.

smoyer 7y ago

Cable TV started as a way for people in mountainous areas to get signal to their sets ... not as an ad-free alternative to broadcast TV. At the time, over-the-air networks were received by the cable TV companies and sent down the wires (coaxial cable), so the reality is that the subscribers were paying for free television when they couldn't receive the signal directly at their location.

chungus_khan 7y ago
That was definitely the case for early cable, but at the point where it was receiving wide adoption one of the main selling points for non-isolated customers was premium cable-only channels, which at the time were generally ad-free or very sparse with adverts. Broadcast channels always had adverts, but those weren't the selling point for wide adoption.
- scarface74 7y ago
  That hasn’t changed. The same “premium only” content without ads is still ad free. Early cable channels like TBS always had ads.
  - chungus_khan 7y ago
    A lot of specialty and news content that used to be ad-free or relatively low-ad-content isn't anymore, but this also isn't really relevant to my point and I never said that cable used to be ad-free, but rather that there used to be a more prominent attraction to it due to some ad-free content offerings.
    - scarface74 7y ago
      That ad free content still exists - HBO and similar channels. The same content that was originally ad free. But now, we are actually in a golden age of having ad free content for TV. Of course you have Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. But you also have Hulu’s ad free tier that offers content from NBC, ABC, and the Fox networks without ads and you have CBS All Access. You can also get ad free content from AMC. Someone has to pay for the content. If you are willing to pay for ad free video, there are plenty of options.