New Cable Talking Point Against Cord Cutters: They May Be Cutting, But They're Poor Nobodies
from the nice-try dept
We already noted that the cable industry is really trying to stick its head as far in the sand as possible when it comes to the fact that many customers are starting to drop their cable TV subscriptions. First, they pretended it wasn't happening at all, and that they had somehow "beat" the internet (based on a single anecdote of someone who had dropped cable, but gone back to it a year later). Then, when news came out of massive numbers of people dropping their cable TV plans, they said that they weren't really cord cutters, because they were only canceling service due to the down economy. The latest strategy appears to be to insult the cord cutters, saying that while the idea behind cord cutters was that it would be young, technologically savvy folks, it's actually people who the cable companies just don't care about: poor older folks. Seriously. At least that's the argument being made by one of the cable industry's favorite talking heads, who tries to minimize the cord cutters by saying they're "poor" people who "eat a dog's breakfast."Mr. Moffett said the image of the cord-cutter had been that of a "cutting-edge technologist" who preferred to bypass cable to watch programming on computers and on an ever-proliferating array of devices. "The reality is it's someone who's 40 years old and poor and settling for a dog's breakfast of Netflix and short-form video."Sounds kind of like the cable industry is moving from the "denial" stage to the "anger" stage of grief...
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: cable, cord cutters, craig moffett, tv
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
Do they not get it?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Do they not get it?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Their biggest problem is that Netflix instant view is better than cable by itself.
When I visit my in-laws, I'm always disappointed by their $800 a year habit. If they canceled cable and spent the $800 on reasonable internet ($120), Netflix ($120), and a $500 HDTV, they'd have a better entertainment experience. And after year one, they'd save hundreds a year.
So again, the only problem is ESPN. Cable companies better keep sports locked up, because when they lose sports, it's over.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re:
My ongoing war with the VS. channel and Comcast Sports Net's ridiculous online policies and customer service rages on....and I am not losing....
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ATSC vs. Cable
The switch to digital TV was supposed to improve cable-free TV offerings and in some respects they have. A lot of cable TV is pretty redundant. Of course "clear signal" used to be one of the big reasons to get cable to begin with.
...might not be such a big deal now.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Sports
There is also a new start-up called Ivi TV. They offer streams from major cities of local channels. Great for black-outs.. And it continues to grow exponentially. Forget cable and satellites. How to wean people from decades of cable watching is what is going to take time to do.
TvMike
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/web/10/29/nfl.streaming/index.html?hpt=Sbin
Angry stage indeed LoL
I saw a building with a server that had tones of (legal purchased/maybe illegal distributed. Where does it turns illegal? material on it, that building doesn't need no cable as for sports only one guy needs to get the stream and he could divide the expenses with his friends in his building or neighborhood.
But maybe he is right is the older people who are cutting the cord because the younger generation may not even know the cable is there, games are better then TV these days and the internet has everything.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
If your a sports fan and don't have access to ESPN3 then your pretty much tied to cable. I think thats a big reason TWC doesn't want ESPN3, it would allow for sports fans to more easily cut the cord.
We cut the cord over the summer, it was a rough transition and it's still not nearly as easy to "watch tv" than before, we use a mix of Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Hulu but it is doable and seems to be getting better every month.
We had to invest a several hundred in hardware to make it happen but after one year it'll break even and we'll effectively have a free computer. One nice thing we've found is that we're now very decisive about what we watch and have gotten many hours of life back now that we spend effectively zero time chan surfing.
I do however miss 5.1 and HD on most things, though that seems to be changing. Netflix on the PS3 is really quite amazing and is example of things to come.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
...basic math education.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I don't think I could bear all those commercials anymore.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I actually laughed out loud at that one
Of course "cutting-edge technologists" are only a tiny percentage of the population. Since they're probably outnumbered at least 10:1 by poor 40 year olds, the spokesman admits that they have a much bigger problem than they previously thought.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Cancelled Comcast because they stink...
When U-Verse was added to my neighborhood a couple years ago, I waited a couple months for them to shake out the bugs, signed up and never looked back. Now at least a dozen of my neighbors have done the same. We cover all age bracked (early 20's through late 70's), several income levels (retired, unemployed, part-time workers, full-time salaried, etc) and multiple tech skill levels. We all cancelled Comcast for the same reason - horrible service and lack of quality.
Somehow, I don't think they quite get it yet... :-)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Just in case the idiots reads TD...
Why is it this "dog's breakfast" can offer more than what cable can, with only a few web addresses?
180 channels and we get:
-80 music channels because?
-100 channels of ads interrupted by a damn TV show.
I'll stick to my "dog's breakfast". So nice to actually watch content, not ads.
Yes, Mike, I know you think they're the same thing, and they are, but to a point.
I'm done paying for product endorsements.
It appears the growing number of 1 million probably feels the same way.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
He's Almost partially correct
Cables been cut for 10 years now. My current demographic:
Age: 38 (close)
Income: upper-middle
Breakfast: Cereal (I'm not one for Dog Chow)- Enjoy the weekly shows (The Event, Chuck, Colbert, Bones, Caprica, Modern Family {all on Hulu} - I guess those are "short-form video")
Profession: Software Developer (though it's true I'm not a gadget freak)
-CF
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: He's Almost partially correct
Looks like you have even more free time.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Never even connected the cord
I am a 27 year old male. I don't eat dog food for breakfast, lunch or dinner and I could certainly afford to shell out for cable TV.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
yummy
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I may be a poor nobody....
My household:
- 3 people (my fiance, my roommate, and myself)
- 27 - 30 years old.
- 1 Female, 2 Males.
- We range from tech savvy to "what is twitter"?
- None of us would take cable even if it were free
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
When I bought a new place (cash of course), I didn't worry about connecting the cable; that's not even a consideration.
I'm fed up with high prices, poor programming, and poor service with constantly rising prices for what little you get. Most of the tv programming is ads with a show as a sideline excuse to pass them to you. Did I mention I hate a commercial with a passion?
I will not be going back to tv. They've priced themselves out of a market and the offerings for programming are so poor as to be of no interest.
The cable companies as well as the public channels can believe what they want. To me, they are on the verge of finding out what happened to the newspaper industry.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Moffett: Go back to Business School
So let me get this right: If I don't follow your ideal, Mr. Moffett, of what service I should be watching then, according to you, I'm something like a poor schmuck who can't decide what's good content and what's not?
Time to face facts: Cable isn't offering what customers want content-wise. I hate watching TV - it's worse than my dog's breakfast. That's why I have Netflix, iTunes on AppleTV, Hulu, and (if I want to watch news on TV or Public TV station) I have an antenna which gives me free 1080i uncompressed local channels from NY and Philly.
The only thing Comcast has been good for is internet service - and they botched the installation which required connecting two coaxial cables on a pole (everything else was done for them).
I have yet to hear anyone love their cable company or the content cable provides. And we can see why with people like you and your attitude towards customers at the top.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I'm over 50 so I fit the insult, I'm not poor but there comes a time when even the least intelligent realize they're paying a lot for what they aren't getting with cable. Also, I'm far from a technophobe so I don't fit there.
Gee, I must be an outlier. If so I'm proud of it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
a dog's breakfast
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I like my "dog's breakfast of Netflix"
And not going back to cable!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
"We're loosing the middle-to-low income 40 year olds who make up the core of our audience as well as the youth demographic with disposable income who define where an industry is going, we are in very deep doo doo."
Of the many people I know who have cut the cord (& myself), the common characteristic is that none of them are big sports watchers. As soon as cable looses sports, they're done.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re:
Except the dirty little secret of Cable is that their core demographics is in the 50s-60s and aging (no offense to those who are in their 50s and 60s). They've already lost the 20-30 somethings.
-CF
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
At Least...
~I
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
orly?
For the record, I had a ham, egg, and cheese this morning and it was delicious.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
"Well, then you're POOR! Stupid poor people! You make me sick!"
What the hell? Is this grade school?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Just think...
What else can they say to the likes of GTV. Google was so smart in their naming convention, the cable companies did not see it coming.
"Companion Box", yeah right!
Between torrents and GTV I believe all content is now freeeeeeeeeeeee :)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I've been using the aforementioned laptop instead of cable TV for over a year now, and I could never go back. I watch what I want, when I want, and I'm no longer driven up the wall by annoying commercials.
Rather than whining about how there aren't enough people paying them for an obsolete product, cable companies should be preparing to transition to full-time ISPs. Blaming the customers like this is like being on a sinking ship and just standing around complaining about how your feet are getting wet.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Netflix gives me everything I want for $9 a month. The cable company tried to force me to keep TV by offering a lower combine cost for internet and TV. Internet only is twice the price of Internet and TV combined. My guess is that cable companies charge more for internet only, to prevent people from cutting the cable cord. If cable companies did not charge people more for internet only, I am sure many more people would be cutting out cable TV.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Another advantage to cable
Now as soon as more TV shows put their stuff on Ustream, it'll be that much better to have an internet only connection.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Well by that logic...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Amount spent on cable television: $0
We have naked broadband cable and download all of our TV (even shows available OTA) using BitTorrent and ShowRSS with OpenVPN and PeerBlock to keep it anonymous and streamed to our TV via Buffalo Linkstation and PlayOn. We can also access all of our content remotely using Orb.
The whole set-up costs less per year than one month of cable television.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]