"Unfox My Cable Box" NOW!

[momta]

GigiLeigh posted about this a few months ago, but this video by BTC explains it well. And now is the time!

https://unfoxmycablebox.com

[FBaggins]

1. This badly confuses how such decisions are made

They correctly point out that Fox News gets the second-largest share of subscriber fees, but they ignore the fact that the largest share by far (ESPN at 3-4 times as much) has fewer viewers.

But the real confusion is the notion that we are paying these fees even if we don't watch the channel... and thus we have some leverage to get the cable companies to pay them less (or even drop the channel).

But that isn't how it works. Both channels benefit from the fact that millions of subscribers are only willing to pay for cable at all because they're effectively a captive audience. There are comparatively few subscribers who will drop the service if NatGeo goes away... or the 12th Nickelodian channel... or even the big names like HBO (because you can stream it just as easily). But live news and live sports are the raison d'etre of cable.

Then there's the fact that most cable companies (if not all) have their own news networks now. Dropping a competitor could cause regulatory/legal issues.

The way to damage Fos hasn't changed. Don't watch it. The size of their audience does impact their revenue. But don't think that those of us who don't watch it have much leverage to convince cable companies to take it from those who do watch it.

[Escurumbele]

9. Get rid of cable all together, they are not worth what they charge

Many years ago I noticed that I was wasting a lot of time watching sports on TV, I would go to sleep with the Tennis or Golf channels, during the day I was watching History Channel, and other worthwhile channels, but nonetheless I was not doing the things I wanted and needed to do, so I suggested to my wife that we get rid of cable, we did, we have not gone back.

When it comes down to it, there is no need for cable at all. Lets face it, they give you 160 channels, out of which you may really watch five, the rest are just for surfing, they all have terrible programming, and to pay up to $160.00/month for five channels is too much.

I am convinced that today one only needs Netflix, and an antenna. That is it...$9.99/month does it. Watch no more than two movies per week, maybe some sports on the week-end, and you now have so much time to do other things, like exercise, golf, tennis, painting, reading, and whatever else you want to do with your life, you are no longer wasting time in front of the TV.

Get rid of cable.

[Mysterian]

12. Excellent advice

When one has a good internet connection, there is no need for cable. Roku TV or similar services are great and free. However, I live in an area without good internet; streaming does not work at all. So I stupidly signed up for DishTV at about $100 per month. Not worth it at all. I plan to cancel Dish soon, as half-decent DSL is arriving here soon.

[hunter]

2. My wife and I quit traditional television a long time ago. No cable, no satellite, no broadcast.

Mostly we watch Netflix and DVDs.

If I'm not watching something on Netflix, Netflix knows it. Maybe that's creepy in some way, but it also allows for boycotts.

Everyone who has cable or satellite television pays for Fox News whether they watch it or not.

I've found it remarkably easy to exclude television news, opinion, and advertising from my personal universe. I don't have a "cable box."

My wife was never a fan of television news and opinion. It's just noise to her and always has been.

September 11 2001 turned me off of television news and opinion forever.

Before that I still had some of my dad's habits. He'd come home from work, pop open a beer, and watch CBS News, mostly awful stuff about the war in Vietnam, as I recall.

[dalton99a]

3. Kick

[roamer65]

4. If you have Dish, their "Flex Pack" is a Faux less package.

It’s the only provider I know of where u can eliminate it and still have a somewhat decent package otherwise.

You get CNN only in the main package. Extra news channels are in an add-on news pack. Drawback is if you want MSNBC but not Faux, you can’t separate the two out that add-on news pack.

[CloudWatcher]

5. Sling used to be ok .. but no more

When we cut the cable a few years ago, we were able to get Sling and a news package that had MSNBC but not Fox. Since then they've added Fox to the same package that carries MSNBC.

I just got around to closing our account with them a few minutes ago. Sigh.

[roamer65]

8. It's a pervasive channel.

They try to weasel their way into most packages to spread their poison.

[CentralMass]

6. I haven't watched Fox since the 2008 primary. Unfortunately there us a lot of time devote the

network here.

[padfun]

7. 10 years now without a cable box.

I get Netflix and Roku tv. There is more than enough to watch which would last a lifetime.

Besides, I watch very little TV at all.

[ToxMarz]

10. Most (many) cable companies have very bare bones packages of mostly local area broadcast stations

for not much month. Often they aren't advertised or even shown on their websites, you may have to request (demand) that option. I'm not sure if they are required to make that option available, but worth checking out if you're not ready to cut the cord completely. An antennae is hit or miss in many areas.

[hunter]

11. The last time an antenna was attached to a television in our house we got more than twenty stations.

All the major networks and PBS. Plenty of religious freaks as well.

My wife and I didn't watch any of it.

When we moved our television to another room the antenna connection didn't follow.

We have a stupid TV attached to a DVD player, a VCR, and a fancy wifi dongle. With the dongle we can watch Netflix for $8.99 a month, we can check out videos from our public library, etc..

We can also rent DVDs from Redbox, or we buy them in thrift stores.

Our children, nephews, and nieces don't seem to know that broadcast, cable, and satellite television exist. Those queer things are something way out there in the old fart universe like AM, FM , and CB radio.

Hey, good buddy! We've got us a convoy!

I rode with Coke bottle bottom glasses Captain Video.

[GigiLeigh]

13. K and R

[momta]

14. Back at ya'