Thursday, February 24, 2005
Let the Market Decide
You ever wonder how to get your cable rates down? Time Warner just increased its rates by nearly 4% this year, and other cable providers have also raised their rates within one percent of 4. Notably, Cox communications raised rates by a mere 2%. Why are our rates increasing at, on average, twice the rate of inflation? Understand that the provider isn't the only company to blame here. Stations like ESPN and the Turner Networks (TNT, TBS, DISC, etc.) raise the prices that providers must pay to keep their programing. MTV is the standard, of course, trying to reach as many teens as possible. Even with basic cable, providing only the core stations, MTV must be included. This gets on my nerves, but we'll revist that later on.
What is the problem with offering choices in what the consumer wants to watch. The only stations that I watch are the news organisations such as CNN and Fox News, as well as the History Channel and Comedy Central. Why am I paying for sports shows that annoy me, estrogen packed stations that don't cater to my interests, the motorcycle channel (er, Discovery), and the, sorry to bring this up once again, but the one channel where if I had children, they'd never be allowed to watch? Why can't I just pay for the costs of giving me access to the cable network, as well as only the stations I choose to watch? Heavy handed lobbyists (which the American people can't afford to pay for) make sure that in no way can the cable companies offer choices. I'm not even so sure that the cable providers are against the consumers' choice, seeing how it is a more secure way of keeping customers (you're less likely to drop the plan if you're watching what you want, instead of having to flip through 80 channels of junk before you come across one you want). Who's going to stand up for us, to break up the regional cable monopolies, and demanding that choices must be given? Surely not our elected representatives of both stripe. If we can raise awareness of this ongoing scam, perhaps we can effect a change, don't hold your breathe, but it could happen. So tell your friends write your congressman (I usually do, and am always met with a reply as well as an explaination. They don't bite their voters). We can fix this.
Oh and MTV, I think you can figure out my stance now.
What is the problem with offering choices in what the consumer wants to watch. The only stations that I watch are the news organisations such as CNN and Fox News, as well as the History Channel and Comedy Central. Why am I paying for sports shows that annoy me, estrogen packed stations that don't cater to my interests, the motorcycle channel (er, Discovery), and the, sorry to bring this up once again, but the one channel where if I had children, they'd never be allowed to watch? Why can't I just pay for the costs of giving me access to the cable network, as well as only the stations I choose to watch? Heavy handed lobbyists (which the American people can't afford to pay for) make sure that in no way can the cable companies offer choices. I'm not even so sure that the cable providers are against the consumers' choice, seeing how it is a more secure way of keeping customers (you're less likely to drop the plan if you're watching what you want, instead of having to flip through 80 channels of junk before you come across one you want). Who's going to stand up for us, to break up the regional cable monopolies, and demanding that choices must be given? Surely not our elected representatives of both stripe. If we can raise awareness of this ongoing scam, perhaps we can effect a change, don't hold your breathe, but it could happen. So tell your friends write your congressman (I usually do, and am always met with a reply as well as an explaination. They don't bite their voters). We can fix this.
Oh and MTV, I think you can figure out my stance now.
