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Americans Continue to Dump Cable TV Service

Nov 12, 2010  •  Post A Comment

A new survey from Harris Interactive indicates that in the past six months 22% of Americans have canceled or cut back on their cable TV services, reports B&C.

The pace of movement away from cable has been consistent for a while now. The 22% figure was the same as was found in a similar survey in February, while an October 2009 study came back with a figure of 21%.

The Harris online poll was conducted Oct. 11-18 among 3,084 U.S. adults age 18 and older.

In addition, 17% said they canceled their landline phone service and are only using their cell phone.

12 Comments

  1. They are allowed to raise their rates and lower their channels what a great way to fleece America. Dropping their cable has nothing to do with going to dish or direct tv if has to do with the economy and people have no money for entertainment.

  2. Don’t kid yourself about the economy. There is a dramatic shift occurring similar to the shift from over-the-air to cable that happened in the 70’s and 80’s. Content is reaching people through the internet. ESPN 360 is just one example. Kids with Xbox and Playstation are getting almost all of their TV and Movies off the box. It is eliminating DVD’s and traditional broadcast. 20 years from now the TV will be getting all of its content through the ether.

  3. I cut the cable a few months ago. I can’t put a dish in where I live, and Comcast won’t replace 33 year old corroded cable so I can’t get a decent picture. I bought a Phillips digital powered rabbit ears and a Gateway computer with wireless internet and a tuner card. Now, I have a DVR, HD TV and everything that’s online.
    Who needs cable?

  4. Oh, I forgot to mention: The money I spent on the computer has already been earned back by not spending $125 a month on cable.
    Like I said, who needs cable?

  5. After reading recent headlines about cable companies blatantly ripping off customers — http://www.alternet.org/story/148785/cable_companies%27_%2446%2B_billion_robbery_–_subscribers_have_been_ripped_off_for_%245_a_month_since_2000
    and with subscribers paying more, getting less and with often bad service, is it any wonder why people are dropping out? It’s the economy, of course, but it’s also the almost universal contempt for the customer that fosters thoughts of bailing on one’s cable company. And now with alternatives out there, they aren’t the only game in town. Here’s hoping their license to print money is coming to an end — most of them haven’t deserved the success they’ve had. The folks running these rackets just got in on the ground floor, then became lucky and then very greedy.

  6. If people knew how many channels were on the air for free they would probably dump Cable. Also if the Government would get out of the speculation business and allow the capacity of the spectrum to be built out there would be over 100 channels over the air. Let them be built!!! There would be no need for pay TV

  7. If people knew how many channels were on the air for free they would probably dump Cable. Also if the Government would get out of the speculation business and allow the capacity of the spectrum to be built out there would be over 100 channels over the air. Let them be built!!! There would be no need for pay TV

  8. What percentage of the channels you receive on cable to you actally watch? For me, maybe 10%.U.S. homes now receive an average of around 120 channels via cable…and watch 16 for at least 10 minutes per week.

  9. Apple now has Rhapsody as an app, which is a great start, but it is currently hampered by the inability to store locally on your iPod, and has a dismal 64kbps bit rate. If this changes, then it will somewhat negate this advantage for the Zune, but the 10 songs per month will still be a big plus in Zune Pass’ favor.

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  11. Kudos to you! This is a really good blog here and I love your style of writing. How did you get so good at blogging?

  12. I find it ridiculous that people associate the adoption of watching web-based television (Hulu, abc.com, tv.com, netflix, etc) with giving up the TV. At some point, with today’s television sets, someone will hopefully recognize what has already been happening is that people have connected their web-based television programming to play on their new HDTV LCD’s and are watching HD programming in their living room – and its not digital broadcast, and its not cable. Someone will hopefully realize and adapt and change their business model, rather than taking comfort that 42% of their audience won’t give up their TV.

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