cable TV news stories on Newser

Dish Network Scraps AMC Channels

Dustin Lushing — Fri, 04 May 2012 16:26:13 CDT

Dish Network is removing all four of AMC's cable channels because it says too few people are watching. Part of the problem, it says, is that the "very limited popular programming" on AMC is "available to our customers through multiple other outlets such as Amazon.com, iTunes, and Netflix," reports...

How HBO Became Uncool

Kevin Spak — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 15:18:05 CDT

Sunday should have been a banner night for HBO, with Game of Thrones and the premiere of its latest "zeitgeist-courting" show Girls . But Michael Wolff didn't tune in—though not for lack of trying. Wolff and his companion "don't have HBO. And, it turns out, after some hurried calling around,...

Get Ready for $200 Cable Bills

Kevin Spak — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 10:09:58 CDT

Unless something changes, cable TV prices are headed for the stratosphere, according to an industry forecast released yesterday. At the rate cable prices have been increasing—about 6% per year—analysts see them hitting $200 a month by 2020, which, the New York Post quips, might be enough to displace...

Netflix Was Supposed to Beat Cable, Not Join It

Kevin Spak — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:43:26 CST

Netflix's rumored attempt to bring its content to cable on-demand boxes isn't sitting well with Rebecca Greenfield of the Atlantic , who reads the report thusly: "The streaming service 'of the future' would join forces with the established companies we'd hoped it would help us get away from." Part of the...

Soon: Order Cable, Get Netflix?

Evann Gastaldo — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 10:55:38 CST

In its latest bid to stay ahead of the competition, Netflix is looking to team up with cable companies. The proposal? Add its online streaming services as another "on-demand" option that cable subscribers could access through their set-top boxes. CEO Reed Hastings has quietly met with senior executives at some...

Have Cable or Dish? You Pay $100 'Sports Tax'

John Johnson — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 07:29:49 CST

The NFL's hefty new contract with TV networks—as in $27 billion over nine years—prompts the New York Times to look into the booming business of sports on TV. The takeaway stat: Anyone with cable or satellite is paying what amounts to an annual "sports tax" of $100 per...

Verizon Plans Netflix Rival

Matt Cantor — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:27:54 CST

As if Netflix's year hasn't been tough enough. The streaming movie company may soon face a new rival in the form of a Verizon online video service, Reuters reports. The service would be available to 85 million households outside Verizon's current FIOS broadband and cable markets, and could be ready...

Your Next Cable Box: Xbox Live

Evann Gastaldo — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 09:30:42 CST

The latest competition aiming to replace your cable box: Xbox Live. Microsoft is ramping up its online entertainment service starting tomorrow, allowing subscribers to watch a variety of television from their Xbox 360. In addition, rather than the tedious process of using a remote control to search for shows listed...

Verizon Deal With Cable TV Could Be Game-Changer

Mark Russell — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:40:02 CST

A new $3.6 billion deal between Verizon and three major cable TV companies is threatening to change a fierce rivalry between competitors into a partnership that critics fear would restrict consumer choice, reports the Washington Post . Mobile service, Internet, and cable TV providers have been locked in an intense...