NYT Confirms Drop in Cable Subscriptions

I cut my cable TV subscription with Time Warner Cable close to six months ago (link) and haven’t missed it for one second.  Not only was the service an increasing burden on my finances but I was realizing what many others are starting to see – nearly everything is online now and for free or a nominal charge.

Like the millions of Americans who are ditching their landlines and relying solely on cellphones, these cable cutters are using new technology to redefine what is necessary and what is accessory, watching television when they want as opposed to when it is broadcast, and saving a few dollars.

“So many of my friends treated cable as a utility, that it wasn’t a home until it was set up,” said Nick Jackson, 24, who lives on the Lower East Side and works in publishing. “I basically chose Internet over the cable.” (link)

While I am sure the cable companies will try to find ways to “force” viewers back by trying to limit what gets online, we all know that this is a losing battle.  Cable companies will likely find they have to significantly drop their rates and add things like ala carte channel selection if they want to have any chance of competing with the internet, especially when it comes to new subscribers.

This is the true challenge with cable companies.  Most current subscribers are used to the ease and simplicity of cable and might not think they are savvy enough online to replace cable with pure internet but for new potential subscribers who are perhaps just out of college or their family home are well-versed in online options and likely to be short on cash.  It will be a pretty easy choice when faced with cable or internet.

It doesn’t help that cable companies like Time Warner, Comcast and CableVision often have near-monopolies in their given zone and have become lazy or inept when it comes to responsive customer service.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Time Warner Cable Losing Subscribers. I’m One of Them. (mymediamusings.com)
• Charter Communications to file for Chapter 11 (money.cnn.com)
• As Earnings Drop 32%, Comcast Raises Dividend (nytimes.com)
• Economy Slows Cable’s Momentum (gigaom.com)

Time Warner Cable Losing Subscribers. I’m One of Them.

God, I love being part of a trend! Especially when that trend is to dump your over-priced, inflexible and poorly serviced cable TV via Time Warner Cable.

According to CNet:

The cable operator only gained about 49,000 new lines for a total of 34.2 million during the quarter. And basic video subscriptions decreased by 197,000, to 13.1 million. This drop was attributed to customers ending their service, but was also due to the fact that Time Warner Cable sold some properties.

Aside from the obvious reason that paying close to $100/month to watch TV is a tough pill to swallow in this tight economy, the free alternatives just continue to become easier to access.  I dumped my TWC TV service almost two months ago and continue to see everything I want – I just don’t pay through the nose for the privilege.

While I hate to see anyone lose a job due to a business downsizing, I simply can’t root for Time Warner Cable in this particular battle.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Time Warner Results: Cable Demand Takes a Hit (gigaom.com)

As Screens Converge Will We Become Platform Agnostic?

There is word in the NYT (ok, I’m sure it’s elsewhere too but I just don’t have the energy to dig up the links) that Time Warner Cable (my monopoly-tastic super-over-priced NYC cable company) is planning to bring the internet onto the television.  So says Chief Executive Glenn Brit:

“Within a relatively short time … it’s going to be very easy to get Internet TV on your big screen TV,” he said, estimating it would take between one to two years to popularize such technology already sold by the likes of Apple Inc.

I’m not totally clear on the difference between having the internet on my TV and “Internet TV.”  Sounds like some sort of proprietary browser with limited access will be in play… still, for everyone claiming cable is going to lose to the internet might want to reconsider.  Instead of a winner and a loser we’re just going to have more media in one place.