Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

People didn't use vcrs to tape tv. They used them to rent and watch movies. Read once that only 1% of vcr owners ever bought a blank tape and recorded something.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

I wouldn't be surprised at all. Most people have satellite or cable these days, so it's only a natural progression.

I also wouldn't be surprised to see a lot of sports go to a pay-per-view model. Would people be willing to pay $20 bucks to watch the Super Bowl? Probably.

And, yeah, the ala carte model is bad for smaller niche channels since they're subsidized by the more popular channels. I suppose a good compromise would be to make ESPN a premium channel, since it's one of the more expensive channels and accounts for a good chunk of everyone's bill. (From what I've heard, anyway.)

One thing, though, if free over-the-air broadcast over the "public airwaves" went away, would we see the FCC or some other government body attempt to censor content? I know that a few years back there was a move by the FCC to regulate "indecent" content on cable/satellite that fortunately went nowhere. Removing all broadcasts from the "public airwaves" would leave them no content to regulate. And, by God, someone has to think of the children!

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

Thank you.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

That sure worked out well for boxing .

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

It did when the product was good.

Aren't UFC and WWE types doing okay?

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

wwe, not really, the big ufc events get about 8 or 900 thousand buys

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

I don't remember boxing ever being on free tv - not the big matches (live). Before PPV, it was closed circuit - you went to some theater in your area to watch it. Maybe back in the 50s it was on free tv.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

ABC would show some championship fights in the early 80's. I remember Larry Holmes fighting Tex Cobb on a Friday Night in 1982 or 1983 on ABC for the Heavy Weight Championship.

But you're right all the Muhammed Ali/Frazier fights were closed circuit in the 70's and all the Tyson fights were on HBO and then once he won the title, they were on PPV.

Although I do remember watching Tyson beat Marvis Frazier on ABC Wide World of Sports on a Saturday Afternoon in 1985 before he was champ.

Back then, they showed SOME fights on regular TV, now they are all PPV and that is why the sport is dying in the US, as it relies on its international popularity to make their money.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

So the question this raises in my mind is this, if local affiliates essentially become obsolete and close down doesn't that screw up syndicated first-run shows like Tyra, Doctor Phil, Ellen and The Bonnie Hunt Show? Additionally that would mean cable Channel 8 would be the only genuine outlet to get a local newscast. People SAY they don't watch local news, but when harsh weather is predicted/occurs everyone turns to them for emergency information, closings, etc.

They'll all just move to Oprah's cable network. ;)

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

They (Tyra, Bonnie Hunt) would just move to a cable channel, or similar programming would show up with new hosts. We already have Lopez Tonight on TBS and Chelsea Lately on E as late night cable talk shows. I'm sure daytime talk shows will work on some channels as well. Not to mention, NBC/ABC/CBS would become their own cable channels (most likely). Modified. Maybe ABC would merge with ABC Family... CBS with another Viacom owned property... etc. Just because we are use to always having those stations doesn't mean they get to say. Bye bye DuMont.

As for the local news -- we'd just turn somewhere else. Internet, our cell phones, etc. Plus, there could still be local news, it would just have to be integrated in a new way -- or perhaps the cable provider somehow broadcasts warnings over all the channels or something at the bottom if something bad is about to happen. I'm sure they can think of something.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

There's no reason the local affiliates wouldn't still be around; they just wouldn't broadcast over-the-air anymore, and you'd need cable or satellite to get them.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

Not just that, but CBS Studios and CBS the network are separate entities. Ultimately the money goes to the same parent company, but CBS the network doesn't get to count DVD sales of Medium, or any other TV show, in their budget. So increased DVD sales don't directly benefit the networks.

TV on DVD sales have reduced the production costs the networks are paying for certain TV shows. Just like with syndication, the revenue generated from DVDs have meant that television production studios are eating more of the costs for shows upfront. The problem is that the revenue for networks is dropping faster than the costs for shows are, since DVD is only one minor reason for a reduced network audience.


There was fear that everyone watching recordings on DVRs would be zipping though commercials, but that hasn't panned out:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/02/bu...pagewanted=all
So now, the DVR ratings for a show factor into what the network can charge for its advertising.

I'm not sure that there'll ever be a situation where there won't be any OTA broadcasts; it seems like there's at least some market to farm there. It may be a case where the affiliates are totally independent and showing just syndicated material, or maybe airing shows after they already aired on a cable network (like with Friday Night Lights).

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

As someone who worked retail in the mid-90's I have to call bullshit on that.
We would sell VHS tapes by the freakin' pallet.

That may have been the case in 1983 when VHS tapes were $30 a piece, but definitely not by the time the 90's rolled around and tapes were less than $2 a piece.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

Anyone who believes recording TV on VHS is happening at a comparable rate to recording TV on DVR is absolutely insane.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

Anyone who thinks only 1% of the population ever recorded something from TV to VHS is equally insane. I mean, my grandmother knew how to do it.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

Agreed, just about every close friend and family member I know of regularly recorded TV shows on VHS. In fact my parents and 1 of my sisters just stopped recording using VHS when they got U-verse DVR installed in December. Another sister still records TV shows weekly using VHS.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

Um, yeah... I guess I'm a member of "The One Percenters". I used to have two VCRs going to tape shows back before the mighty DVR. And I knew a lot of people who did likewise. I think someone just pulled that 1% stat out of their ass.

I was just watching some stuff on Netflix, (on my Xbox360), and I'm thinking, wouldn't it be cool if current programs were offered the same way..? Every week, all of the offerings of each company would be made available for a week - Say, monday to the next sunday. Then you could go thru and watch what you wanted from that week in any order and as many times as you want. You wouldn't have to wait for a certain day and time to watch your favorite show.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

I had a tape for each day of the week and recorded everything. My VCR even had an commercial skip feature that would fast forward through the commercials automatically. It was very cool.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

Attention DVD enthusiasts...we are the minority when it comes to using technology, especially A/V technology. That is all.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

they used to have boxing in the 90's on ABC's wide world of sports on saturdays at 4:30. I don't remember if they were considered good fights or not, but i watched every saturday. Also there was a free fight after Tyson got out of jail on Fox. He fought a bum and best him in the second if i recall

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

WWOS didn't have major title fights then.

Tyson's first fight post-jail wasn't free. I distinctly remember him dropping the tomato can Peter McNeely in about 90 seconds and laughing at my friend who shelled out $50 for the 'fight' on PPV.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

:lol: Thank you. It's like people forget what forum this is and why they originally started to post here.

Re: Broadcasters' woes could spell trouble for free TV
 

It is called Hulu. ;)