I Won't Pay For Local HDTV!

Washington, D.C. (February 27, 2007) -- I think that is the most ridiculous idea I have ever heard of!!! Who do these stations think they are? They charge millions of dollars for a commercial that none of us viewers want to watch, and then have the gall to expect us to pay to watch them. What does commercial TV mean anyway? Are they thinking they're in the same league with the premium channels like HBO and Showtime, etc.

We all know who will be paying for the showing of the HDTV for the (local) commercial channels; we the subscribers, that's who. The cable operators won't foot the bill, that's for sure. I think that if the cable operators give in to the stations that are now asking for the fees, it won't be any time at all till all the stations will be charging.

Then what?

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I think the cable operators should flip off the commercial stations, and refuse to pay for the HD broadcasts. If they all stick together the stations will give in, because as more and more of us buy more and more HDTVs, there will be fewer and fewer of us watching analog TV and then the sales from the expensive ads that the advertisers pay will go down because there won't be enough people watching these commercial stations for it to be worth the cost of the advertising.

Then what will the commercial TV channels do?

I just recently bought a HDTV and have to admit I enjoy viewing the HD channels far more than the analog channels. But I'm already paying too much for my service that I'm getting from Time Warner Cable now, and if they increase my monthly bill to cover the additional costs of the (local) commercial channels, I would give up those channels rather than pay for them just to see them in HD. I don't like watching commercials anyway, why would I pay to watch them???

Bob Fetter is a HD Observer for TVPredictions.com. If would you like to be a HD Observer, send an e-mail to: swann@tvpredictions.com

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Phillip Swann is president and publisher of TVPredictions.com. He has been quoted in dozens of publications and broadcast outlets, including CNN, Fox News, Inside Edition, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, The Financial Times, The Associated Press and The Hollywood Reporter. He can be reached at swann@tvpredictions.com or at 703-505-3064.

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