Like (I assume) most of you, I get a zillion stations with my DirecTV satellite, and I could do without all but a dozen or so.
They are FoodTV, the Cooking Channel, HGTV, AMC, TCM, USA and WGN (mostly for NCIS, Law & Order, etc. reruns), Bravo sometimes, ION sometimes, TLC (mostly for What Not to Wear), Smithsonian & History sometimes. That’s about all. Don’t need the various shopping channels or sports channels. I don’t get any of the Premium stations. I do like getting the major networks and the local PBS station.
The current flap that DirecTV is going through doesn’t affect me, as I don’t watch Nick, MTV, Spike, or Comedy Central. I miss TVLand a little teeny bit.
What channels/stations do you watch most of the time?
I like several shows on USA and TNT. The various PBS stations are a staple for Masterpiece shows, Frontline, and Nova. Lately though, I can’t live without the Science channel and watch all those shows that try to explain quantum mechanics, string theory, astrophysics, etc. I’m thinking that, if I watch enough of them and get enough metaphors for explanation, maybe I’ll start to understand it all. This stuff really gives one a sense of perspective.
Msnbc, comedy central, HBO, the sports channel the Mariners are on, and sometimes history or science documentaries (I’m not sure of the channels). I don’t need anything about cooking, sewing, fishing, or buying or fixing up houses.
All of the ESPNs, MLB Network, NFL Network, Fox Soccer Channel, GOL TV, NBC Universal, TLC, Discovery, Discovery Health, Comedy Central, USA Network, HGTV, BBC America, and sometimes A&E.
TCM is the default setting, PBS, TV Land, AMC, HBO, FX (waiting for American Horror Story to come back) the Weather Channel, and I listen to the music channels like Smooth Jazz and Solid Gold Hits waaay up in the triple digits. Occasionally HSN or QVC. I used to watch the cooking shows when Good Eats was on, but now, not so much. I used to watch Discovery Channel when Man vs. Wild and Dirty Jobs were staples, but not so much now as I have little interest in motorcycles or guns…Whatever happened to Dirty Jobs, anyway? They must have run out of dirty jobs.
(typically carried as a PBS sub-channel; link is to list of currently running programs)
They have English-language newscasts from all over the planet and nightly broadcasts of sub-titled mystery series, mostly from Italy and Scandinavia, plus the occasional (very non-North American) film or sports event.
I know this isn’t GD, but this certainly misses the bitch of the situation. I, like most posters here, probably watch about 10 channels regularly. Since DirectV offers about a 1000, should my hundred dollar monthly bill be reduced to $1 per month?
Or is the argument that there are a bunch of shitty channels? I think so, but as we see in this thread, different strokes for different folks. We all only watch OUR ten channels, but they aren’t the same ones that others like.
Plus, since you’ve put a giant satellite up there, even if there is a channel that only a handful of people watch, you can still broadcast it without an increase in overhead. If they add, Channel 1001, the “Postmasters Who Rape Little Boys and the Reasons They Do It” Channel, it really doesn’t increase subscription costs, but serves 4 more customers. Having an “a la carte” where you could eliminate that channel wouldn’t be logical.
TCM more than any other
ESPN for Tennis and Golf
NBCSports (formerly Versus) for Olympics and NHL Hockey
CNBC–but really can’t stand anyone on there but Herrera (Note to CNBC HR Dept: Brits with “private school” accents do not impress me)
MSNBC for Morning Joe
Comedy Central for Daily and Colbert
Fox News for Fox and Fiends [sic] during Morning Joe commercials
PBS for News Hour, Masterpiece, Nova, Frontline, Antiques RS and Moyers
Food Network for D, D & D
HBO & Showtime
That’s two hand fulls, but if you took away everything else and left me with this I would be happy.
BBC America (Top Gear), TBS/TNT (re-runs of Big Bang Theory and The Mentalist), QVC/HSN, TCM, AMC (for Mad Men). Huh. Maybe I should cancel cable since apparently I don’t watch much.