This articlementions these networks as popular “must have” choices.
Which ones can you do without and which others are “must have” for you?
Their list:
- ABC
- CBS
- Fox
- NBC
- ESPN
- History
- Discovery
- HBO
- USA
- PBS
ABC
CBS
NBC
Fox
PBS
I don’t have any of the others, and don’t miss them.
I guess this shows how non-typical I am as a TV viewer. The only non-dispensable networks in my mind are FoodTV and Syfy. I have a love/hate relationship with both… but they’re the only networks I care enough about to love or hate.
There are some runners-up that I’d consider a sacrifice to give up, but I could live without: History, AMC, CNN and NWCN (which is a regional cable news channel).
I only have broadcast TV (no cable or anything like that), and I get:
ABC
NBC
CBS
PBS
Of those, the only ones I watch is the “b” NBC channel (MeTV: various old sitcoms/dramas, old movies), and the “b” PBS channel (Create: cooking/travel/etc)
Tcm
fx
amc
pbs
hbo
The only stuff I watch is on AMC and FX (or FXX).
Oh, wait… Baby First & PBS for the little guy, I guess.
We are VERY atypical TV watchers in our household. The only networks that are on with any frequency are:
PBS
NickJr
Food Network
Cooking Channel
HGTV
I haven’t watched a scripted TV show (for adults) in years.
Mostly just for football watching:
NBC
FOX
CBS
(plus ESPN and NFL Network, but I would be OK without those)
For general entertainment, I primarily watch:
TNT
SyFy
Discovery
Travel Channel
Food Network
BBC America
That’s about it. Wow. Looking at that now I’m really overpaying for cable…
The main broadcast networks:
CBS
NBC
ABC
Fox
CW
PBS
…though I watch fairly few prime-time shows on them, and access to sports (particularly the NFL) drives at least part of that “need”. Also, a big part of the reason for including the CW on the list is that our local CW affiliate is WGN, and I like their news broadcasts.
For cable networks:
ESPN
NFL Network
Weather Channel*
CNN
MSNBC
Discovery
Science Channel
BBC America
To that list, my wife would add:
Food Network (food porn)
Cooking Channel (more food porn)
HGTV (house porn)
DIY (more house porn)
TLC (heaven help me, reality show porn)
TNT
USA
SyFy
- Though the fact that a lot of their programming is now non-breaking-weather related pushes me to Weatherscan, an automated channel run by TWC on Comcast.
ABC
CBS
Fox
Food Network
GSN
Cozi
Antenna TV
BBC America
Cartoon Network
Discovery
Complete list below:
Whatever network does Modern Family. I like that show. Couldn’t tell you what channel it’s no. I do also like Comedy Central and HBO.
ABC
CBS
NBC
CNN
TCM
Comedy Central
PBS
Science Channel
Food Network/Cooking Channel
Prime Ticket
HBO
Travel
Comedy Central
After that everything becomes negotiable or available streaming.
All the broadcast channels (including substations like METv and Create) plus USA, TNT, TBS, Food, HGTV, Cooking, Hallmark, BBC America, VH1 Classic, HBO, MSNBC and Al-Jazeera America.