There are plenty of people now who think the pay TV companies are nothing but a cabal of greedy arseholes. But you know who hated the cable companies more? Movie theatres and broadcast networks in the 1970s.
Boing Boing’s Rob Beschizza writes that the Film and TV power players were paranoid about pay TV eating away at their profits, so they ran a campaign in movie theatres suggesting that “R-rated” shouldn’t be allowed in homes. Obviously that paranoia was completely unfounded, as movie theatres are now bigger and as cash-hungry as ever, but you can’t say they didn’t know how to make an awesome piece of propaganda. [J-Walk via BoingBoing]
WillD
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 11:31 AMThey might be greedy, but they have the only content worth watching.
Most free-to-air content is so full of ads that what little content that is worth watching is ruined by the constant interruptions.
olearymo
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 3:38 PMPay TV doesn’t have ads anymore?? Then I’m coming back!
Because if you tell me that the channels that you PAY for STILL have ads, I’m afraid you’ve freaking lost me.
TSH
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 1:51 PMPay TV and FTA all have unbearable numbers of ads (i.e., any). I’ll just buy the worthwhile shows on DVD when they come out for ad-free enjoyment.
Any time I turn on the TV to watch anything, I end up ragequitting thanks to the ads.
olearymo
Wednesday, August 10, 2011 at 3:42 PMIsn’t it funny how media organisations keep telling us things are killing industries, and then it doesn’t happen?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_Taping_Is_Killing_Music
peter
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 1:58 AMalmost cant win anymore. i stopped paying for foxtel as I really don’t watch much tv anymore and when i did i still had to sit through ads, ads tellling me to buy more foxtel. Like TSH i buy the complete season on DVD/Blueray as it comes out.
but seriously i tried watching law and order and i went through about 9 screens of legal warnings, then the studio intros, then the freaking poorly animated THANK YOU FOR BUYING THIS RELEASE animation. after having to sit through that on every disk, I cant stand it anymore.
I just want to watch my damn show that i paid for!
olearymo
Thursday, August 11, 2011 at 9:36 AMGod, tell me about it. Not to mention ‘YOU WOULDN’T STEAL A CAR. YOU WOULDN’T STEAL A TV…’ if this DVD was stolen, you imbeciles, they would have cut out this warning!
You’re punishing me for paying for the DVD! AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!