# Which are your "must keep" TV Networks? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689 "2013-10-08T15:29:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/1 "2013-10-08T15:29:35Z")
[This article](http://homes.yahoo.com/news/must-keep-tv-brands-222810279.html)mentions these networks as popular “must have” choices. Which ones can you do without and which others are “must have” for you? Their list: 1. ABC 2. CBS 3. Fox 4. NBC 5. ESPN 6. History 7. Discovery 8. HBO 9. USA 10. PBS ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/2 "2013-10-08T16:17:56Z")
ABC CBS NBC Fox PBS I don’t have any of the others, and don’t miss them. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/3 "2013-10-08T16:34:48Z")
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). ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/4 "2013-10-08T16:40:02Z")
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) ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/5 "2013-10-08T17:01:56Z")
Tcm fx amc pbs hbo ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/6 "2013-10-08T17:06:01Z")
The only stuff I watch is on AMC and FX (or FXX). Oh, wait… Baby First & PBS for the little guy, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/7 "2013-10-08T17:28:12Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/8 "2013-10-08T17:58:53Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/9 "2013-10-08T18:28:58Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Cartoonacy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/848f3c/32.png) [@Cartoonacy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartoonacy)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/10 "2013-10-08T18:36:11Z")
ABC CBS Fox Food Network GSN Cozi Antenna TV BBC America Cartoon Network Discovery ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/11 "2013-10-08T18:48:56Z")
Complete list below: ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/12 "2013-10-08T18:50:22Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/13 "2013-10-08T19:39:34Z")
ABC CBS NBC CNN TCM Comedy Central PBS Science Channel ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/14 "2013-10-08T19:42:14Z")
Food Network/Cooking Channel Prime Ticket HBO Travel Comedy Central After that everything becomes negotiable or available streaming. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-are-your-must-keep-tv-networks/670689/15 "2013-10-08T23:05:34Z")
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.