So what will they use for their cable TV and off-the-air service in your
area? Satellite?
Richard Goetz
R & L Media Systems
rickg@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
(615) 826-0792
From: lptv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lptv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Jon C. Moon
Sent: Friday, January 28, 2022 3:25 PM
To: lptv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lptv] Cable is dead, long live cable...
So two years ago the local cable company (which is owned by the phone
company) decided to shut down traditional cable TV service. They switched
over to an IPTV streaming service over their DSL, fiber and cable modem
network. It seems that they were losing so much money on TV services that
TV without a broadband subscription was not tenable.
Now, they're completely shuttering their TV lineup at the end on March.
Programming fees have become so high that - even subsidized with profitable
broadband - TV service is no longer possible.
This means my local channel, Ridgeline TV, will no longer be available on
cable TV. Aside from satellite service and national streamers, there is no
other local provider of TV service here (the fiber optic system shut down
their TV operations several years ago for the same reasons.)
I am streaming my channel on the internet and will continue to do so, but it
will be a very tough sell. While it's available free to everyone, it's like
herding cats trying to direct viewers to the channel, even with apps for
ROKU and FIRE TV. And broadcast is a no go in this area.
Even if I had a LPTV station, very, very few people use antennas here.
We're 100 miles away from Atlanta and 3 other markets with terrain blocking
mountains between.
While this is bad news for me, it may be good news for LPTV operators. More
smaller to midsize cable systems are likely to follow suit and just
completely give up on TV service, instead focusing on very profitable
broadband service. Several other companies have already done this. It will
be imperative for LPTV operators to let viewers leaving pay TV know that OTA
is available in addition to streaming services.
Jon C. Moon
Ridgeline TV Channel 99
706-897-0872
www.ridgelinetv.net <http://www.ridgelinetv.net/>
