CBSNews strikes a blow against "bundled cable"

I'm a fan of streaming media over the Internet. I cut my satellite TV bill by 50%, sent back 3 of my 5 receivers and cut my "package" by 100 channels. I use a ROKU player connected to my TV, but Google offers Chrome, AMAZON offers FireTV and Apple offers AppleTV.

BUT one thing that I need(ed) my satellite (or cable) subscription for is live news programming.

Until now.

CBS News launched CBSN late last week. It is an Internet streaming news channel that broadcasts live from 9am to midnight EST during the week. So now I can get breaking news live without a subscription fee.

AND THERE IS MORE . . .

Dish Network has announced a new subscription model that will be released within the next 6 months that brings basic programming for only $30 per month. No clue which channels will be included yet, but as more channels adapt to 'Streaming' it's likely that the cut rate package will become popular.


The "bundled" business model is pushed by companies like Turner Broadcasting. If you want TNT then you also have to pay for CNN. And Turner, playing hardball with Dish Network, wanted to charge a premium. Dish called their bluff and pulled CNN and HLN off the air, and almost nobody noticed. The reality is that CNN and HLN viewers combined is something less than half of the FOX News viewers so the subscribers had little incentive to complain.

Add in the move by CBS News with its free CBSN offering and the world of "bundled" cable is forever changed!

But it's CBS ..................

Cable pays CBS for being allowed to re-transmit their content. Unless CBS plans to charge for the streaming media I do not see why CBS or any others would go this route. I like the idea and would like to see others follow but it's all about the money and at this point I can't see the plus for others to jump on this bandwagon.

CBSN is a new network with new content. They have commercials for products that pay the bills. It may still be CBS but it is live news, rather than 1, 2 or three day old news.

i'm gonna be a skeptic. i pay near $500 fer cable services per month. tied together, & as 1 payment. i get hundreds of channels, tho, & fast internet, & phone, plus i have a cell phone, (not of their service) that i actually use. & another that i have yet to activate.

luvs said:

i'm gonna be a skeptic. i pay near $500 fer cable services per month. tied together, & as 1 payment. i get hundreds of channels, tho, & fast internet, & phone, plus i have a cell phone, (not of their service) that i actually use. & another that i have yet to activate.

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I'm at approximately $350 for 3 cell phones, plus landline phone, plus Internet, plus 150 DishNetwork channels, plus my monthly subscriptions for Netflix and AmazonPrime.

Considering dropping the landline completely and switching my alarm system to cellular.

my pal has dish. she kinda despises that. we'll be watching a game- then it'll drop. mid-game, one evening. wanna hear two gals bitch @ a television~
shoulda heard us 2, that evening. sheesh. 2 drunk women, a Stillers game, vodka & other alcohol- & a game we could not see half of, woah. two Stillers fanatics & alcohol usually make not fer calm gals. makes us into two gals that yell at television. then imbibe in vodka.

I have been pretty happy with DishNetwork.

During heavy snowstorm or heavy rainstorms it will cut out for a bit. But overall its very reliable. My internet is not through Dish and operates over radio frequency (wide area wi-fi) and that seems to work during the rare occasions that Dish is having problems.

you guys with affordable internet I have a 2 gig cap and than overages start at $per Megabyte I have had a fer internet bills as high as a grand than to top it off another 300 for basic cable and cell phones.

Snowtrac Nome said:

you guys with affordable internet I have a 2 gig cap and than overages start at Megabyte I have had a fer internet bills as high as a grand than to top it off another 300 for basic cable and cell phones.

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Well when ya live in gods area ya have to expect a bit more!!! after all ya do get more snow than we do!!! cost is high for all that white stuff!!!!!

Snowtrac Nome said:

you guys with affordable internet I have a 2 gig cap and than overages start at Megabyte I have had a fer internet bills as high as a grand than to top it off another 300 for basic cable and cell phones.

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What internet service do you have? Hughes net is advertising their much improved satellite high speed internet. Might be a good solution for you.

I've had DirecTV for year and love it. I DVR most of what I watch. I also have NetFlix and simply because I bought Amazon Prime I have their FireTV streaming service. I use streaming some but rarely have time to watch what I have DVR'd so I do not stream that often. If all the shows the wife and I record would be available for streaming that would save me a little over 100 bucks per month. Worth looking into for sure.