# Fox Tv and Dish /Comcast at war over programming costs **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 16, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-tv-and-dish-comcast-at-war-over-programming-costs/557364 "2010-10-16T17:56:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-tv-and-dish-comcast-at-war-over-programming-costs/557364/21 "2010-10-18T15:42:15Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Personally, I watch probably 30 channels out of the 200 or so that I get. I would kill to be able to just pick and choose to only get the channels I actually watch, menu style. I will say that I have _never_ watched a home shopping channel, sport channel, hispanic channel or black channel in my life. Only news channel I watch is CNN, and that is only during very specific times [typically it was when we were in active war and mrAru was still in the military, or the whole 9=11 kerfluffel. Oddly enough, I was actually watching it on 9-11 when they went to live coverage] I tend to watch movie channels, history/documentary based channels, SF channel. Only network shows I watch with any regularity are Bones and NCIS. > > It would not break my heart if I could actually go to an ‘itunes’ sort of computer channel and look at everything that was on schedule during the average week, and pick and choose every program I wanted to watch at a buck each, and the computer would download them into a DVR equivalent box sort of like Netflix does with movies, on demand. No actual cable company or channels,just a huge list of movies, shows and sports. The cable box would perhaps be the local channels and your selected news channel or something. The way it works today is sort of a trade-off. The problem is that the 30 or so channels you watch and enjoy probably aren’t the same 30 or so channels that everyone else enjoys. In order for the more “niche” channels to survive, they pretty much have to attach themselves to other channels, or else no one will pay for them, because there just aren’t enough individuals willing to seek out and pay for, say, the Game Show Network a la carte. “Good,” you’re probably saying, “crappy channels like that that nobody watches should just die anyway, because they can’t compete.” Thing is, that’ll lead to less and less programming choices as every other channel gravitates toward showing the same grey homogeneous mush. If only the channels that can attract dedicated subscribers can survive, we’ll be stuck watching 24-hour NASCAR and the Weather Channel. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-tv-and-dish-comcast-at-war-over-programming-costs/557364/22 "2010-10-18T17:30:14Z")
A lot of New Yorkers are going to miss the World Series. I am not good with that. It will spread to other parts of the country and maybe we all will miss it. NFL games will also be blacked out. Maybe if they cut all their programming, we will get used to not having them around and never go back. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-tv-and-dish-comcast-at-war-over-programming-costs/557364/23 "2010-10-18T18:06:24Z")
**gonzomax** : did you say that your viewership of Lions football might be affected by this disagreement? Anyone know what DirecTV pays to Fox? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-tv-and-dish-comcast-at-war-over-programming-costs/557364/24 "2010-10-18T18:10:54Z")
They pay 70 mill and Fox wants 180 now. Yes , I pay for Fox Sports and it includes Lions, Tigers, Wings and Pistons. I lost the last 2 games of the baseball season because Fox shut it down. I paid for it and did not get it. They have cut the home games off in New York. Last week Giant fans had a blank screen. we will sooner or later. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fox-tv-and-dish-comcast-at-war-over-programming-costs/557364.md?page=1)