# Why is AMC on cable commercial-free? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 8, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932 "2001-01-08T02:14:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SmackFu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/53a042/32.png) [@SmackFu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmackFu)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/1 "2001-01-08T02:14:27Z")
Anyone know why the American Movie Classics cable station doesn’t have any commercials? It’s not public television, since they never ask for money. And I don’t pay anything extra for it, like you do for the other movie channels. So what’s up? Are their costs just so low that they don’t need the money? Don’t get me wrong, I like AMC without commercials, but it just seems unnatural. ---
**Author:** ![Dandmb50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ba9def/32.png) [@Dandmb50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dandmb50)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/2 "2001-01-08T02:52:17Z")
I’m not sure but it probably is some type of premium channel that the cable companies have to pay for and yet absorb that cost when they offer the extra channel to subscibers on a special package. AMC propably dosen’t come on a regular cable package and the subscibers would have to sign up for a cable package which is a little more expensive to receive that channel. The cable company pays maybe $1 to $1.50 for each person that would sign up for that plan. We have the same thing here in Toronto but even the pay-per-views have commercials so even though we pay more we always get commericials one way or another. I bet that AMC has movies that you see for free on the public system but they are commercial free? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/3 "2001-01-08T03:07:04Z")
Nope, sorry. AMC runs really, really old movies, like B-movies in black and white from the 1940s that you never heard of. And not “quaint” or particularly famous or good movies, either. My WAG as to how they do it without commercials is that they’re just included as part of basic cable because it makes the cable company look good. Oooh, real black and white movies from the 40s! How classy! And AMC turns a slight profit because their goods are so cheap to begin with. How much do you suppose they have to pay for Ida Lupino’s complete portfolio, anyway? Or Linda Darnell’s? ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/4 "2001-01-08T03:11:56Z")
Well, I was watching _All the Presidents’ Men_ on AMC the other night, and I had to pee like a racehorse, and I kept waiting for the commercial. Finally I figured out that no commercial would be forthcoming, so I dashed to the bathroom–unfortunately it was during the pivotal scene with Woodward and Deep Throat. Good thing I’d already read the book or else I wouldn’t have had a clue what happened. Please note that the above post is neither informative nor particularly amusing. I just wanted to share. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/5 "2001-01-08T03:18:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Duck Duck Goose \* > \*\*Nope, sorry. AMC runs really, really old movies, like B-movies in black and white from the 1940s that you never heard of. And not “quaint” or particularly famous or good movies, either. > \*\* Uh,nope, sorry. AMC movies may be old, but they’re not always that old, Ducky. In the last month or so I’ve watched sveral movies on AMC that were not from the 40’s, were in color (NOT colorized) and were very good, particularly famous movies, including The French Connection, The French Connection 2, Easy Rider, and North by North West. I do not have to pay any premium to have AMC, and I do not have a special package for it. But not only is it free, it’s also one of the best channels on cable!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/6 "2001-01-08T03:36:33Z")
You just haven’t tuned in lately, **Smackfu**. They do have commercials, they just don’t show them during the movies - they pack them in between features. I imagine they also make money selling videos. They don’t have to make a lot because they don’t have to invest as much as network channels for new programming - they already own the majority of the movies they show. And as **Dandmb50** says, I pay a little more for AMC - the cable company bundles it with the Sci-Fi channel, TBS and Discovery. I get the Disney Channel for free, though. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/7 "2001-01-08T03:59:46Z")
IIRC, AMC also has it’s own movie magazine. I’ve never seen it but I’m pretty sure it’s out there. I wonder if there are advertisements in there that would balance out the cost of not airing commercials during the movies? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/8 "2001-01-08T04:21:06Z")
They don’t show ONLY b & w films, nor do they show B Movies. PSYCHO comes on once every so often. Hell once they did a whole 3 day Hitchcock marathon. For Halloween. The Seven Year Itch was broadcasted- neither B nor B&W. ---
**Author:** ![JBENZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b77776/32.png) [@JBENZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBENZ)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/9 "2001-01-08T04:43:24Z")
Yup…there are more and more commercials during the breaks as well as ads in their magazine. Used to be a pretty good channel for old movies but lately they’ve been showng a lot of newer, color stuff. The trade off is that the new movies aren’t clean prints like the old stuff. They are the censored prints that they show on commercial TV without the commercials. At the beginning of those you’ll see “Edited for Content” which means butchered up for the old ladies and religious nutz. Better than TNT or TBS but just barely. I sent 'em an email asking about the censored prints and got back a song and dance about how there were limits on what they could show to a general audience. In other words they are working on becoming a commercial station pushing pap just like the networks and Mondo Turner. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/10 "2001-01-08T05:23:56Z")
When I see “compressed for time, compressed for content, edited for tv”, or whatever else they use as their disclaimers, it really turns me off seeing any movie on cable. You almost expect the voices to sound like Donald Duck. I spent some of my college years in AM rock radio and we used to record the music onto cartridges at a slightly faster speed in order to create a bigger “bed” for commercials. I think the FCC finally put a stop to it, but I really thought it sucked anyway. Imagine “Life In The Fast Lane” at not 45 RPM, but 49, and you’ll get an idea of what I am talking about. Q ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/11 "2001-01-08T05:51:34Z")
The first time I saw “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!” was on AMC. Just thought I’d share. ---
**Author:** ![tbea925](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@tbea925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tbea925)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/12 "2001-01-08T07:31:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > I do not have to pay any premium to have AMC, and I do not have a special package for it. But not only is it free, it’s also one of the best channels on cable!🙂 \*\* If you’re getting your cable for free, there are some people who might want to talk to you. ---
**Author:** ![capacitor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e47774/32.png) [@capacitor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capacitor)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 8:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/13 "2001-01-08T08:01:34Z")
AMC is doing what other cable channels are supposed to be doing: show programs commercial free. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/14 "2001-01-08T14:38:38Z")
Well, all I know is, every time I see it, it’s either _They Drive by Night_ or Esther Williams. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/15 "2001-01-08T17:09:29Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JBENZ \* > \*\*Yup…there are more and more commercials during the breaks as well as ads in their magazine. Used to be a pretty good channel for old movies but lately they’ve been showng a lot of newer, color stuff. > > The trade off is that the new movies aren’t clean prints like the old stuff. They are the censored prints that they show on commercial TV without the commercials. At the beginning of those you’ll see “Edited for Content” which means butchered up for the old ladies and religious nutz. Better than TNT or TBS but just barely. I sent 'em an email asking about the censored prints and got back a song and dance about how there were limits on what they could show to a general audience. In other words they are working on becoming a commercial station pushing pap just like the networks and Mondo Turner. > \*\* I agree. It’s very annoying when the announcer does a song-and-dance about some great director, when leading into any post-1970 film. But rather than stay true to that director’s vision, they bleep out “offensive” language. It’s not quite as bad as regular commercial TV, but it could get to that point. For that reason I actually prefer that they stick to older movies, which they can show uncut and uncensored, and as the director intended it to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/16 "2001-01-08T17:15:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tbea925 \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > > I do not have to pay any premium to have AMC, and I do not have a special package for it. But not only is it free, it’s also one of the best channels on cable!🙂 \*\* > > If you’re getting your cable for free, there are some people who might want to talk to you. \*\* It’s the AMC channel I’m getting free, tbea. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c67d28/32.png) [@G.B.H.Hornswoggler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.B.H.Hornswoggler)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/17 "2001-01-08T17:49:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by tbea925 \* > > \*\* > > > > > [@](#): > > > > > > \*Originally posted by pkbites \* > > > I do not have to pay any premium to have AMC, and I do not have a special package for it. But not only is it free, it’s also one of the best channels on cable!🙂 \*\* > > > > If you’re getting your cable for free, there are some people who might want to talk to you. \*\* > > It’s the AMC channel I’m getting free, tbea. :rolleyes: > \*\* I think what **tbea925** is saying is that you’re paying for cable TV. The local cable operator uses some of that revenue to pay each of the cable channels that are carried, so you are paying for AMC, just as you are paying for all of the other “basic” (or “extended basic” or whatever other rigamarole they’re calling non-“premium” channels these days.) If you’re getting cable for free, the Cable Cops will soon come after you. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2001, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-amc-on-cable-commercial-free/48932/18 "2001-01-08T18:32:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by capacitor \* > \*\*AMC is doing what other cable channels are supposed to be doing: show programs commercial free. \*\* Thank you. I was waiting for someone to say that. The idea behind cable (at least as I remember it, and I’ve been called naive before) used to be that you’d pay for the channels in order to watch commercial-free teevee. When did they start getting away with showing commercials? I live in NYC, remember…we’ve only HAD cable available to us for about ten years.