Want to punish the MSM? Disconnect your cable

I was astounded by this comment in another diary this morning:

ABC's Morning Joe Sliming O Now (3+ / 0-)

What an awful show to wake up to ! Mika, Joe, and Tucker Carlson all calling O an unbearable elitist. Saying he's totally out of touch with modern day. Calling Tom Shales a complete fool. Obviously ABC has taken a position and needs to defend it's awful "debate" hosts but this goes way beyond anything civil. Evidently Hennenger in WSJ has an anti-O story and they are reading it over and over. They are going full- FOX. Joe Leiberman to come on.

If I may translate:  

Wow, the sewage this  morning they were pumping into my living room was particularly smelly today.  Wet, ugly, and brown, I sat there as it washed over me, gagging and choking.  I couldn't believe it!  I keep thinking "gosh, this sewage really stinks", and it's really starting to piss me off.  Oh, I need to pay the bill for that, how much is it again?

Listen, complaining about these shows AS YOU'RE WATCHING THEM is just .... bizarre.

Paying for it is even crazier!

How many of you are PAYING your hard-earned money to have this pipeline of sewage pumped into your house, and your brains?

Here's how it works.  You call the satellite or cable provider, and you tell them you are done.  They REALLY hate that.  They want to know WHY.  

Tell them.  Make it abundantly clear.  You will hear their little fingers typing your answer into their computers.  Someone, somewhere, will actually read it.

They will desperately try to make you some kind of new deal that sounds pretty enticing.  You can pay even less to have the same stinking shower of feces sprayed over your 24/7!  What a great deal!  

Say no.

Make it clear you are done with them because of the "news" channels.  

Then sit back and relax.

If you want to get pissed off, come here and read about it.

Oh, but GOSH you might miss your beleved "24!" (more propaganda.)  Or you might miss your beloved "Lost!"  

Well gosh, life is hard, isn't it?  Poor little babies, missing out on your bread and circuses.  

Put your money where your mouth is and actually TURN THE SHIT OFF.

It feels good.  

And if you absolutely can't live without your shows, download them onto your computer the next day.  You'll save money and you'll be happier.  

They only have power if people watch.  

•  DO IT! DO IT NOW!

  You'll be happy you did, and you might actually start doing things like .... oh, I don't know, reading books again.

  by Inky99 on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:54:22 AM PDT

  •  agree, did it in 2003

    and don;t miss it.

    by MAORCA on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:59:03 AM PDT

  •  ABC and FOX are broadcast television

    Not cable television.

    You get them through the air for free. You get them for free because companies buy advertising on those broadcast networks. A breathless call to disconnect the cable box or cut off the satellite provider does nothing against ABC or FOX. You might be hurting TBS or Comedy Central, maybe the 24 hour cable networks like CNN and MSNBC, but ABC, CBS, FOX, etc, will all be just fine.

    Call the advertisers.

    by jabbausaf on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:02:15 AM PDT

    •  Better yet...

      ...call the adverstisers, register your complaint, and then actually quit buying their products...

      by Ken in MN on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:19:45 AM PDT

    •  Wish I could rec your comment 100 times

      Cable fees pay for smaller channels and local origination too. The big broadcasters (ABC, Fox, etc.) would love you to put cable out of business so they could have the market to themselves again.

      by Contra on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:20:04 AM PDT

    •  This Is Simply Not True

      Disney owns ABC. ABC owns lots of cable networks and cable-based media policies:

      Disney-ABC Television Group

          * U.S. Television Networks:
                o ABC, Inc
                      + ABC Television Network
                            # ABC Daytime
                            # ABC Entertainment
                                  * Greengrass Productions
                                  * Victor Television Productions
                            # ABC Kids
                            # ABC News
                            # ABC Owned & Operated Stations
                                  * WLS Chicago - Channel 7
                                  * WJRT Flint - Channel 12
                                  * KFSN Fresno - Channel 30
                                  * KTRK Houston - Channel 13
                                  * KABC Los Angeles - Channel 7
                                  * WABC New York - Channel 7
                                  * WPVI Philadelphia - Channel 6
                                  * WTVD Raleigh-Durham - Channel 11
                                  * KGO San Francisco - Channel 7
                                  * WTVG Toledo - Channel 13
                o Disney ABC Cable Networks
                      + Disney Channel
                            # Playhouse Disney
                      + Toon Disney
                      + Jetix
                      + ABC Family - formerly Fox Family & The Family Channel
                            # BVS Entertainment - formerly Saban Entertainment
                            # Jetix Latin America
                            # Jetix Europe (Disney 74%, public shareholders 26%)
                            # SIP Animation (undisclosed minority stake)
                      + SOAPnet
          * U.S. Cable Network Equity Holdings:
                o Lifetime Entertainment Services (joint venture between Disney (50%) and Hearst Corporation (50%))
                      + Lifetime Television
                      + Lifetime Movie Network
                      + Lifetime Real Women
                o A&E Television Networks (Disney 37.5%, Hearst Corporation 37.5%, NBC Universal 25%)
                      + A&E Network
                      + The History Channel
                      + The Biography Channel
                      + History Channel International
                      + Military History Channel
                      + Crime & Investigation Network
                      + Biography Magazine (published by Hearst Corporation)
          * Production & Syndication Divisions:
                o ABC Studios - formerly Touchstone Television & ABC Television Studios
                o Walt Disney Television Animation
                o Disney-ABC Domestic Television - formely Buena Vista Television
                o Walt Disney Television
                o Buena Vista Productions
                o Disney-ABC International Television - formely Buena Vista International Television
                o Disney Educational Productions
          * International Television Networks & Programming Platforms:
                o Disney Channel Worldwide
                      + Disney Channel (25 channels worldwide)
                      + Toon Disney (8 channels worldwide)
                      + Playhouse Disney (9 channels worldwide)
                      + Jetix (channel and branded programming blocks in 80 countries)
                      + Disney Cinemagic
                      + Hungama
                      + ABC1
          * International Business Ventures:
                o Walt Disney International Business Ventures & Business Development
                      + Super RTL (joint venture between Disney (50%) and RTL Group (50%))
                      + GMTV (Disney 25%, ITV plc 75%)
                      + HBO Central Europe (joint venture between Disney, TimeWarner and Sony)
                      + UTV Software Communications (Disney 14.9%)
          * Radio:
                o Radio Disney
          * Publishing:
                o Hyperion Books
                      + ABC Daytime Press
                      + ESPN Books
                      + Miramax Books
                      + Hyperion East
                      + Hypeion Audiobooks
                      + VOICE

      [edit] ESPN, Inc.

      (Disney 80%, Hearst Corporation 20%)

          *
                o ESPN
                o ESPN2
                o ESPN on ABC - formerly ABC Sports
                o ESPN HD
                o ESPN2 HD
                o ESPN Classic
                o ESPNEWS
                o ESPN Deportes
                o ESPNU
                o ESPN Now
                o ESPN Plus
                o ESPN Original Entertainment
                o ESPN Pay-Per-View
                o ESPN Regional Television
                o ESPN International (see for complete list of channels)
                      + North American Sports Network
                      + ESPN Star Sports (joint venture between Disney (50%) and News Corporation (50%))
                      + TSN (30%)
                o ESPN Radio
                o Mobile ESPN
                o ESPN360
                o ESPN The Magazine (published by Hearst Corporation)
                o ESPN Books (an imprint of Disney's Hyperion Books)
                o ESPN Home Entertainment (currently distributed by Genius Products)
                o ESPN Outdoors
                      + BASS
                o ESPN Digital Center
                o Arena Football League (undisclosed minority stake acquired December 2006)
      

      Yes, they own this many cable outlets. With so many revenue streams, based off of cable, cutting off the cable would actually have a multiplier effect. In short, you are wrong. We need to either cut the cable, and by extension their share of our cable bill, or activate the parent block on all of Disney's cable properties.

      You can also contact the local ABC affiliates, informing them of you boycott. The local news manager, who is more dependent on local advertisers and local revenue, will notice a flood of angry responses. This applies to the local cable company as well. These smaller entities have pull with the national distributors, yet are more sensitive to a loss of revenue caused by a boycott.

      In short,if we're gong to attack the whole beast, not just a claw or an arm.

      by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:28:32 AM PDT

      •  Happily

        the only one of those I even occasionally watch is A&E.  So only one more channel for me to avoid.

        by drbloodaxe on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:22:45 AM PDT

    •  you can program you TV

      to shut out those channels. We have.

      We use our TV to watch DVDs now. We're so much happier I can't tell you.

      by elmo on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:44:14 AM PDT

      •  My parents did the same thing in the 90's

        To protest all the liberal and immoral things on broadcast TV.

        It achieved absolutely nothing. And everything is back on now.

        by jabbausaf on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:59:50 AM PDT

  •  My wife won't let me

    I actually didn't own a TV until we moved in together. Ah well, life is one big compromise.

    by discocarp on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:12:21 AM PDT

    •  I got my husband weaned off

      It was a compromise.  No cable TV, but the biggest, baddest internet connection he'd ever seen.  So we only watch occasional television now, but I've lost him to the internet.  Oh, well...

      He used to talk on and off about getting cable again, but after two years, he's pretty much stopped.  If he really, really wants to watch something, he'll download it.  Which is how I got to see "John Adams", once he figured out that I was a fiend for the founding of our nation.  (The boy gets big, big points for that.  There's nothing to make my heart go pitty-pat like a man who knows what I've liked in the past and can extrapolate possible future likings from that.)

      by PomperaFirpa on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:15:20 AM PDT

  •  KILL YOUR TELEVISION!!

    Before it kills you.

    I've never had cable and my life is fine dandy, thank you.  This medium (the sries of tubes) makes sure I don't miss anything of substance.

    Starve them.

    by Urizen on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:03:01 AM PDT

•  Carlson is an elitist. So is Joe.

  They are millionaires no?

  by pd1969 on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:55:07 AM PDT

  •  Tucker's a trust fund baby.

    by DWKING on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:02:32 AM PDT

    •  And smarmy, condescending little...

      ...prick...

      by Ken in MN on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:20:26 AM PDT

•  Target advertisers

  by pd1969 on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:55:26 AM PDT

•  I already dropped cable

  I wish there were a way for me to drop it again without signing back up.

  by Sagebrush Bob on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:56:10 AM PDT

  •  Please send a message to your local cable company.

    Thanks.

    by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:31:16 AM PDT

•  I'm thinking that I just might do it.

  It's really hard to give up but I know you're right.  A part of me worries that, if I don't watch it, then I won't know what they're up to as they are the very thing (the media) that holds powerful sway over Americans.  

  One must keep one's enemies close.

  by nolalily on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:56:59 AM PDT

  •  You'll still know

    I haven't had cable since last August but I find out about all this crap from sites like this and Crooks and Liars.

    by Sagebrush Bob on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:57:59 AM PDT

  •  It's hard at first

    but after a couple months you'll be surprised why you ever stuck with it so long.

    by MAORCA on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:03:59 AM PDT

  •  Good point but

    I wonder if they are not influencing the perpective of all who watch it. Even for those that are critical, watching what they do might exaggerate their importance.

    by Fairy Tale on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:04:27 AM PDT

    •  Liberal Rush Limbaugh Listeners

      Some people like getting outraged listening to wingers hold sway and they listen raptly to his drivel, correcting every misstatement and getting emotionally hooked in, like a battered wife. Rush sees suckers boosting his ratings. Leave the reviews and critique to the pros.

      by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:36:23 AM PDT

  •  oh trust me, you'll know

    there's no escaping it. That doesn't mean you have to watch it, though.

    by Stroszek on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:10:48 AM PDT

  •  they have a powerful sway

    because we let them, because we watch.

    by elmo on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:45:30 AM PDT

  •  You won't miss it that much

    It makes your house into a cesspool, you just don't notice the stink because you're used to it.

    by Urizen on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:05:35 AM PDT

•  Elitist Tripe!

  "Poor little babies, missing out on your bread and circuses."

  Screw you, I like my Dancing with the Stars!
   

  by PhillyGal on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:57:10 AM PDT

  •  You can get Dancing with the Stars...

    without cable.

    Although I don't know why you'd want to get it at all, as it is on ABC.

    by filmgeek83 on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:01:30 AM PDT

    •  There comes a point...

      ... where lines need to be drawn when taking moral stances. In essence, we're all hypocrites. It's virtually impossible to function in modern society, and NOT fit into someone else's notion of a hypocrite.

      When I get home from a long Thursday, I'm going to flip on Lost (GASP! An ABC show!) and enjoy it. I'm not going to worry about their news division existing as a clearinghouse for corporate/GOP frames, because the two have very little to do with each other.

      A boycott of ABC's entertainment programs on my part won't change anything in their news division. All it will do is take away one more outlet that I use for relaxation and non-work/non-political stimulation. All work and no play makes Jack less likely to want to volunteer for worthwhile political and community efforts, because he's tired and grumpy.

      And since I see those efforts as being FAR more effective in the long run than a boycott would be, I don't feel the least bit slimy or hypocritical in my choice. There's plenty of room in my schedule for slagging off ABC News AND plumbing the depths of the Dharma Initiative.

      Regards,
      Corporate Dog

      by Corporate Dog on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:30:02 AM PDT

•  ABC is broadcast television

  Cable brings me Daily Show, Colbert Report, Robot Chicken, lots of Family Guy, Battlestar Galactica, Animal Precinct, etc.

  The way to punish the MSM is to boycott advertisers, imo. Oh, and letter writing and phone calling.

  by jabbausaf on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:57:23 AM PDT

  •  Wrong

    See my first post.

    by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:37:35 AM PDT

    •  Moreover, most of the cable spectrum

      is owned by seven companies, if I recall correctly, all of these companies have engaged in a protracted anti-progressive PR campaign that passes for network news. If you subscribe to Cable, your revenue and eyeballs help their bottom line, which allows them to spread more anti-progressive PR through their news networks.

      Moreover, broadcast networks and affiliates are paid by the local cable companies for the cable feed. A cable boycott is dollar leveraged attack against the local cable (CLECs), who in turn buy programming from the big media conglomerates and the television network. Finally, a cable subscriber represents the most direct measure for advertising revenue. A boycotting cable subscriber is, from the perspective of the CLEC, lost direct revenue and lost advertising revenue. They will feel the pain, and they will let the medial companies know that in short order. Targeting the local cable companies, is a leveraged attack against the corporate medial oligarchs, makes perfect sense.

      by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:02:02 AM PDT

    •  Saw it.

      So they own a couple score more channels out of the thousand or so cable ones.

      Avoid lifetime, espn, and a few other name channels and you've cut them out of your loop.

      by drbloodaxe on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:24:29 AM PDT

  •  You can find anything you want on line

    without subscribing.  Don't pay your jailers!

    by Urizen on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:07:22 AM PDT

•  How do you expect us to stay informed?

  I kid.

  by lastman on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:58:17 AM PDT

  •  Watch Bollywood movies.

    (I kid too).

    by MAORCA on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:04:47 AM PDT

•  ABC would be THRILLED

  If you disconnected your cable.  They're a broadcast network.  Broadcast reps are not fond - at all - of cable systems.  They'd much rather your pulled ABC off the airwaves.

  by ThirstyGator on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:58:20 AM PDT

  •  this is about Morning Joe

    the network was misidentified.

    The diarist's point still stands.

    Drop your cable, burn your TV, whatever.

    by Stroszek on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:12:37 AM PDT

  •  Wrong

    Their parent company, The Rat, owns literally dozens of cable networks, Disney executives would be quite dismayed if you disconnected your cable because of what ABC did. This is not to mention what a targeted boycott of the local affiliates and advertisers would do to ABC itself.

    by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:41:50 AM PDT

•  You can't blame me in any case,

  I don't even have a TV.

  By the way, I noticed this comment in most diaries this morning. If one is to repeat the same comment in different diaries, at least it would be a good idea to try to work a bit on it...

  by Fairy Tale on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:58:29 AM PDT

  •  Oh please.

    Organizing and encouraging a specific activity is not, as you're implying, spamming. Half the candidate diaries, on all sides suffer from this same 'problem'. The same types of ideas are coming from different posters. Now, untwist your knickers and wonk on something relevant.

    by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:46:38 AM PDT

    •  Yes, commander!!!!

      by Fairy Tale on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:52:43 AM PDT

      •  Alrighty Then

        Whatever works for you...I guess....

        by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:54:56 AM PDT

•  24 is also on broadcast television

  so dropping or disconnecting cable will have no effect on that either.

  Seriously, WTF?

  by jabbausaf on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 05:59:47 AM PDT

•  I already don't have cable. n/t

  by ubertar on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:01:32 AM PDT

•  Guess They Can't ....

  see the poll results on the bottom of the screen . I'm getting sick of Pat Buchanan also these days .
  How about setting up a one week boycott of all the networks . Hell , we could get all the news we want on the net . It would do people a lot of good not to hear all that crap for a week . They way news passes here it wouldn't take long and the MSM would know about it in short order . Say starting Monday thru Friday next week . If we could get enough committed we could send a message that we are tired of the MSM pounding the airways with stuff people are trying to get past .

  by ArtfromMI on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:01:43 AM PDT

•  I wrote them even before

  I wrote my second letter to ABC. Scarborough is insufferable. We MUST swarm that station.

  by MrMichaelMT on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:02:03 AM PDT

•  Indeed

  I never watched TV news to begin with, even when I was clueless.  I could feel my IQ dropping whenever I did.

  But now, with N kids and a long commute, I just don't have time to waste if I ever want to get anything done.  I can't even remember the last time I watched broadcast (including cable) TV.  I rent some movies from Netflix and download a couple TV shows.

  Vote with your feet, eyes and wallets.

  by RequestedUsername on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:02:47 AM PDT

•  Um, ABC and those shows you listed are not cable

  And Joe and Mika are on MSNBC.

  by greatn on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:06:00 AM PDT

  •  Get them too.

    The breath and swath of the so called liberal media, including the cable news networks, have progressives in their sights. ABC was the designated basher this time, but they're almost all playing the same game. Watch Olbermann online and cut the others off at the knees.

    by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:49:59 AM PDT

•  yep, did this two years ago

  got rid of my TV altogether.

  I can watch movies and stream shows like Daily Show and Colbert over the internet on a nice high-definition monitor.

  There's really no reason to pay for TV, and there's really no good reason not to piss off your cable company by saying you're cancelling due to the lack of quality news programs.

  by Stroszek on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:09:25 AM PDT

•  Missed another one, Lost is also broadcast

  and not cable or satellite. Same as ABC, same as FOX, same as 24 and Hell's Kitchen and Oprah. It's all free broadcast television.

  Stop. Think.

  by jabbausaf on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:10:53 AM PDT

  •  right, it's better to get rid of your TV period

    I watch Lost in high-def over the net, they rarely put up advertisements for anything but other shows.

    by Stroszek on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:15:38 AM PDT

    •  You can get rid of your TV

      But that does nothing against broadcast television networks.

      Write the advertisers. That will make a difference.

      by jabbausaf on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:16:52 AM PDT

      •  False

        See my previous posts.

        by James Kresnik on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:50:35 AM PDT

•  I don't even own a TV!

  And only wish I could take the stream of crap I got on my laptop last night back for a refund of time.

  by raqsasim on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:12:03 AM PDT

•  get a divorce

  I feel sorry for those who allow the "sewage" of broadcast and cable television to enter their homes and their lives. I have not watched television for decades. All the information you need is on the Internet.

  Before the Internet I subscribed to the New York Times (it was better back then) and the San Jose Mercury News.

  Let the television know you are divorcing him (her). You can start a new, better life without the daily abuse.

  You can rent movies and watch them on your computer. You can go to the library. You can hang out in Second Life. You can also garden, play cards, gab on the phone, take walks, bake bread, and do a million other things once you wean yourself from the hours you were spending in front the tube.

  Newswise, there is nothing on television that's not on the Internet. And there's a lot more on the Internet than what's on television.

  If you feel a compulsion to find out how Obama sounded in that speech, or to see whatever new outrage Hillary has perpetrated, there's YouTube.

  If you experiment with cutting TV out of your life you will be amazed at how bizarre it looks after a few months. The only time I watch is when I'm in a hotel. I turn it on to see what I'm not missing. I am invariably appalled at the fakeness and commerialism, and the general stupidity of it all, from the laugh tracks to the news anchors who look like they were prematurely embalmed. I thank my lucky stars I don't watch.

  It is a cultural delusion that we need television. You will literally extend the fruitful hours you have on earth in this short life by divorcing television.

  by robinseggblue on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:25:23 AM PDT

  •  Let me suggest a date: February 17, 2009

    This is when the digital transition takes place. It will kill the networks for sure. I'm practicing how I will stop watching after that date right now with the internet. I have cable so I can watch a little bit of television after that date just to check up (at least until 2012).

    If you had cable since January 1, you are ineligible for the $40 discount coupons for a poor-quality rush produced converter. I think the program was supposed to run for 3 months. They might be in the second (and final) round of coupons.

    by movingforward on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:36:11 AM PDT

•  No!! Doesn't make a bit of sense. n/t

  by riverdan1900 on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 06:41:27 AM PDT

•  I did, way back when

  the godawful Power Rangers first showed up. The writing was on the wall long before then, but that was the straw that broke the camel's back.

  I want my kids to grow up with access to a medium that thinks this shit is a good thing?

  NOT!

  Pulled the plug and lo these many years later, have nothing but satisfaction to show for it.

  by Daddy Bartholomew on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:15:07 AM PDT

  •  To be clear -

    no television viewing in our house. No cable, no antenna, nothing. We keep a tv for purposes of watching movies, period. And that has been largely replaced with a projector and screen.

    by Daddy Bartholomew on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:16:53 AM PDT

•  No cable means

  no Keith Olbermann, South Park, Daily Show, Colbert Report, Married with Children reruns, Mythbusters and dirty movies on Cinemax late at night. Sorry, but I'm keeping my cable ;)

  by yg17 on Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 07:28:42 AM PDT