Why pay for cable when you can get it for free?

[Stitch]

Charter threatened to turn off the cable for residents of a HUD apartment complex in Kalamazoo, Mi., because too many people kept stealing cable. Charter will get $50k from the government to better secure the outside cable boxes.

Not much of a surprise since I've seen complexes where coax is strung between the back windows of different apartments. I've even seen extension cords passed through because power was shut off.

http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/Charter-Cures-Cable-Theft-With-50000-In-HUD-Money-109882

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

$50K in taypayer money to secure coax access? YGFKM.

In any case, once again our government bends over backwards to protect corporate profits.

 

[RickStain]

Seems to me the government was bending over backwards to protect people's right to cable TV?

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

Seems to me the government was bending over backwards to protect people's right to cable TV?

Which they should in this case because OTA is probably not strong enough to give a good signal in a place like that. BUT...the government should have said "You'll provide cable for these people and use your own damn money to secure it."

 

[RickStain]

I know that's the direction the country is going, but there's no way the government should be able to force a private company to serve people in a non-essential field.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

Agree completely, Rick.

 

[Oscar Gamble]

I know that's the direction the country is going, but there's no way the government should be able to force a private company to serve people in a non-essential field.

It's the norm for the cable business and has been for many years. Cable TV companies must negotiate a license with each community. In many communities they have exclusive cable rights. Sure you can sign up with DirecTV, DishTV or rely on over-the-air TV signals, but if your community has an exclusive cable agreement with say Comcast, you can't sign with AT&T U-verse or any other cable company.

Most communities (including the one I live in and probably yours too) require the cable TV licensee to provide free service to the local government buildings. Public schools, park district facilities, village hall, police and fire buildings, etc. don't pay a dime for their access to cable and TV. Your local public access cable channels are also a requirement to the cable TV company as part of their licensing agreement. The license also requires the cable company to collect the local/state/federal taxes/franchise fees on your cable bill and forward them to those agencies.

 

[RickStain]

If the cable company negotiates it as part of the licensing process, that's not forcing them, that's just negotiating an agreement.

 

[NoOneLikesUs]

In the case that a building or a section of community isn't served by OTA TV, don't cable companies (if they operate in that area) have to serve those people by law? Not for free, of course, but with a minimal fee?

 

[Shoeless Joe]

I can't see where a cable company has to provide anything for free. Cable TV is not a right.

If you live in government house you should be spending your time out looking for work and not sitting around watching your new flat screen anyway.

 

[Stitch]

I can't see where a cable company has to provide anything for free. Cable TV is not a right.

If you live in government house you should be spending your time out looking for work and not sitting around watching your new flat screen anyway.

I'm betting a good number of SportsJournalists.com members qualify for HUD housing. I know I do and I make more than many of the job openings posted here.

 

[Armchair_QB]

$50K in taypayer money to secure coax access? YGFKM.

In any case, once again our government bends over backwards to protect corporate profits.

Hey, that $50K created 25,000 jobs.

 

[Sea Bass]

This guy doesn't feel anybody has a right to free cable.

 

[deskslave]

I can't see where a cable company has to provide anything for free. Cable TV is not a right.

If you live in government house you should be spending your time out looking for work and not sitting around watching your new flat screen anyway.

I'm betting a good number of SportsJournalists.com members qualify for HUD housing. I know I do and I make more than many of the job openings posted here.

That's OK, Joe. Don't let facts interfere with your biases.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

I can't see where a cable company has to provide anything for free. Cable TV is not a right.

It's not an inherent right of a cable company to enforce monthly billings
for the dubious privilege of access to Yankee Emetic Scum -- better known as the YES Network.

If the choice is between paying for cable and stealing it because you don't
give a raging rat's ass about the Bronx Swastikas and refuse to enrich the
dirtbags, give me the latter.

 

[Azrael]

It's not free. Per the original story in the Kalamazoo paper:

Instead, Interfaith residents who subscribe to Charter service pay regular rates that Ransberger said range from $25 a month for basic television service to more than $100 for a full range of TV, Internet and telephone services.

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2010/08/cable_tv_stays_on_at_kalamazoo.html

 

[RickStain]

I can't see where a cable company has to provide anything for free. Cable TV is not a right.

It's not an inherent right of a cable company to enforce monthly billings
for the dubious privilege of access to Yankee Emetic Scum -- better known as the YES Network.

If the choice is between paying for cable and stealing it because you don't
give a raging rat's ass about the Bronx Swastikas and refuse to enrich the
dirtbags, give me the latter.

http://hijinksensue.com/comics/2009-01-07-give-me-something-to-*****-about.jpg
http://hijinksensue.com/2009/01/07/give-me-something-to-*****-about/

 

[murphyc]

Somewhere, Cosmo Kramer is laughing and he doesn't know why.

 

[BTExpress]

There is just an almost universal acceptance that things beamed from satellites and/or transported by wires are free for the taking (if you can figure out how to take it).

Now excuse me while I go study on my "free" Rosetta Stone program.

 

[heyabbott]

wouldn't 50k buy cable for everyone in the building?