In 5 years, cable bills in my area have gone up 50%
Worse still
1. In some cases no two cable companies serve the same area. So consumers have only one choice. This kind of conspiring among companies is usually illegal. Essentially its a cartel.
1b. In towns where more than one cable provider is available, prices are much lower.
2. Every now and then I hear proposals from Mccain and others about allowing consumers to pay only for the channels they want. But cable companies have paid off congressmen and senators to shoot down this idea. Consumers are thus forced to pay for channels they dont want
3. Every time a cable company holds out to avoid paying channels like CBS or ESPN more more money, the public peppers them with calls to restore CBS. What they do not realize is that if your cable company has to pay CBS more money , then the extra cost is paid by the consumer.
4. Satellite does not work for some. Customer support was horrific.
5. I switched off cable for a period of 7 months in 2012 and I faced a near revolt in my house :)
I am now contemplating switching off cable again and subscribing to Hulu & netflix. Not sure what I will do about sports.
6. I read that the average cost of cable TV and internet in America is $160 whereas in France it is $38
Source :
http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/why-phone-cable-internet-bills-cost-much-130914030.html
The reason congress has such low approval ratings is because they focus on nonsense and grand standing that has no bearing on the average Americans bank account. Cable TV reform could be a winner for congress. For one thing cable companies should be transparent about how much they pay for each channel. For two, there should be no conspiring by cable companies to divide territories.
Dont count on it though. America is a country where big business can pay off the politicians to gouge the consumer. And Americans are too busy bickering about partisan issues and pressuring their congressman to defund you know what. Meanwhile their pockets are being emptied on a monthly basis. No wonder the saving rate in America is among the lowest in the west.