Michigan cord cutting accelerates; cable customers fall 13% in 2023

[Martin Stett]

Michigan cable TV companies lost 190,000 subscribers in 2023, a 13% drop
Since 2015, the industry has lost over 1 million subscribers as people have opted for streaming services
Despite the move to internet-based streaming, subscribers can expect to still see a lot of political ads in 2024

https://www.bridgemi.com/business-watch ... ll-13-2023

A 13% drop in one year is not a sign of a healthy business model. Good article, but it omits any mention of OTA TV. So many people are amazed when I tell them my antenna pulls in 34 strong stations.

[km1125]

And it's not very accurate either. It should specify cable video customers, vs just "cable customers". Where are all those streaming customers getting their Internet services?? Likely from that same cable company, with lesser amounts to AT&T wireline, the wireless folks or a satellite-based provider.

Cable's margins on Internet services have ALWAYS been MUCH higher than their video products, so it's not really an all bad news story.

[sinklair]

It appears that the National Association of Broadcasters have become an apology organization for large broadcasters like Sinclair, Scripps and Nexstar.

https://thedesk.net/news/nab-local-tv-c ... olicy-fcc/

People continue to cut the cord because of —among many reasons — rising cable costs due to retransmission disputes all while companies like Sinclair cut newscasts, Scripps goes toward automated newscasts to replace live news, etc. Stations run by Sinclair that are focusing on finning up fear as opposed to real reporting are driving away people in droves.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics ... dia-trump/

And Sinclair’s bad bet on Bally Sports only alienated local sports fans.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/enter ... 507153007/

The Detroit News reporting: “Sinclair was arguably losing before it even got started. The company failed to see that cord cutting, a trend that had been expanding well before 2019, was only increasing because of the rise of streaming platforms. The number of cable-TV subscribers in the US has fallen by an average of 5.8% annually since 2019, and total subscriptions are down by about 40 million since a peak in 2010. And Sinclair’s plan to obtain so-called direct-to-consumer rights-the key to developing a streaming service-from all the sports franchises in its purview failed when it came to winning over baseball teams.”

Now the NAB is (with a straight face) telling the FCC that it shouldn’t prioritize license renewals for broadcasters who actually provide localism. They say it’s too costly for some of these billion dollar broadcasters to put on local news… all while they hand out 8-figure salaries to their CEOs.

Let me propose an alternative…. the FCC should take away the licenses for broadcasters who no longer provide any local news broadcasts. If you have no intention of providing any local public service, you don’t deserve to keep the license that allows you to benefit from using the public airwaves.

Maybe that will get the attention of these CEOs. Maybe if there are public licenses available, new companies with new ideas on how to serve their communities will pop up. Only then will we see a change in the type/quality of local news being provided and a reason for the audience to come back.

The NAB should stop protecting and apologizing for a system that is clearly broke because of the greed of these big broadcasters.

[MWmetalhead]

AT&T's sales whores have descended upon Costco, harassing store customers, in an effort to compel them to sign up for AT&T Fiber and/or AT&T Wireless. I endured one such encounter yesterday as I was walking down the main aisle.

I hate it when Costco lets these sales reps into its stores. It's one reason I've been spending less time at Costco in recent months. (Due to BJ's and Sam's Club having nearby locations, I've noticed meat and gasoline prices are significantly cheaper at the Madison Heights Costco than the Bloomfield Twp. location.)

I've been quite pleased with my YouTube TV service. I do still get Internet from Comcast. I doubt I will return to Comcast for cable service anytime soon.

[billmich88888]

Middlebelt costco gas is cheaper than Haggerty

and both are in the same city

[MWmetalhead]

The Kroger on Sheldon Rd. in Plymouth is sometimes 40 or even 50 cents per gallon cheaper than the Kroger on Greenfield in Oak Park.

[edj]

The BJ’s in Taylor seems to have the cheapest gas around, even for non members. It’s by a decent margin too.

[AuburnViewer]

AT&T's sales whores have descended upon Costco, harassing store customers, in an effort to compel them to sign up for AT&T Fiber and/or AT&T Wireless. I endured one such encounter yesterday as I was walking down the main aisle.

I hate it when Costco lets these sales reps into its stores. It's one reason I've been spending less time at Costco in recent months. (Due to BJ's and Sam's Club having nearby locations, I've noticed meat and gasoline prices are significantly cheaper at the Madison Heights Costco than the Bloomfield Twp. location.)

I've been quite pleased with my YouTube TV service. I do still get Internet from Comcast. I doubt I will return to Comcast for cable service anytime soon.

Sometimes I feel like I'm at a carnival at Sam's and COSTCO with those side hustles for phones and other goods and services.

[radiofann]

AT&T's sales whores have descended upon Costco, harassing store customers, in an effort to compel them to sign up for AT&T Fiber and/or AT&T Wireless. I endured one such encounter yesterday as I was walking down the main aisle.

I hate it when Costco lets these sales reps into its stores. It's one reason I've been spending less time at Costco in recent months. (Due to BJ's and Sam's Club having nearby locations, I've noticed meat and gasoline prices are significantly cheaper at the Madison Heights Costco than the Bloomfield Twp. location.)

I've been quite pleased with my YouTube TV service. I do still get Internet from Comcast. I doubt I will return to Comcast for cable service anytime soon.

Sometimes I feel like I'm at a carnival at Sam's and COSTCO with those side hustles for phones and other goods and services.

Walmart stores are infected with a reseller of T-Mobile service. They are called OSL. They overpromise and underdeliver.
Buyer beware on ‘free phones’ offer.

[MWmetalhead]

The AT&T sales whores were standing in the center aisle near the electronics section in Costco on Stephenson Hwy yet again this morning. Two of them were standing there like vultures. Upon spotting them, I immediately turned and walked down the lawn & garden aisle to avoid them.

$2.94/gallon gas + the few other items I bought made the trip worth it, though.