For awhile now I’ve had the modernworkweek url and for almost as long, it has sat dormant with a “COMING SOON” sorta look, waiting for some type of content or purpose.  There’s a lot I’ve wanted to say about the workweek in its current state, and even more I want to say about where it could evolve to – but all those thoughts and notes and scribbles seemed like sub-chapters in a book – not the sorta thing one starts a website with.  Tips for traveling – reasons one should walk to work – the importance of controlling your time – how to use technology to make you more efficient and profitable.  All great ideas to explore – but not quite the launching pad needed to position the purpose of this site.

Then today it happened. I canceled my cable television.

There are various reasons that led up to this afternoon being the moment I unplugged from the most expensive and time-consuming distraction in my life:

• I was paying $85/month ($1020/year) for my HD Cable package from Comcast
• I spend 3 hours a day, maybe 6 days a week watching TV.  This adds up to 900 hours a year, or two full months of waking hours dedicated to TV each year.
• I find myself watching History Channels programs about Nostradamus when I should be… well… living.

However – these are merely symptoms of the disease that was my Comcast cable subscription.  The cause of death… INTERNET. While I may be psyched to have an extra grand in my pocket and some of those 900 hours a year of life back in my control – the simple fact is I have not freed myself of my media addiction – I have simply found a better dealer.  One who gives me what I want, when I want it – and get this… asks for almost no money in return!

While pundits and CNN spokes models have been lamenting the slow death of newspapers and even going so far as to suggest a survival strategy – they have been ironically missing the hidden headlines and the story of the day.  The internet has already killed the newspaper. It has also slaughtered the radio… and has its sites set on cable.

IT’S NOT TV I HATE… it’s cable providers (or dish providers if that’s your fancy).

First off – lets seperate the content from the provider. The fact that newspapers are clunky, smudgy and require the slaughter of thousands of trees to distribute the out-dated information they provide isn’t a criticism on “news”, just the poor and outdated distribution method those systems use. Anyone who has acquired an iPod or discovered Pandora at this point has very little need for corporate run radio – even though it’s provided free of charge.  It doesn’t mean I’ve grown tired of music – just that I’ve realized it’s insane to listen to DJs and commercials when I can listen to all the songs I ever wanted to on my terms.

Cable television had control of the content – but it has slowly trickled out to the INTERNET in the form of Hulu, YouTube and the like.  Comedy Central distributes its own content – and more and more you will see television content providers going directly to consumers, and avoiding Cable all together.  Eventually movies will sell directly to the consumer – as will musicians, poets, concerts, sports leagues, anyone who has content someone would desire.  Where will you get the money to pay for all these various media streams if they decide to charge?  From the $85/month you are saving by not having Comcast.

Isn’t it a bit curious that each time a rumor spreads that Facebook or Twitter might charge a fee for their service, the users who spend the most time utilizing it are the first to be in outrage by the notion they should pay money for something they use hourly.  $85 for cable television… fine.  $45 for internet… cool.  $75 for my cell phone… obviously.  $15 for Facebook… WTF!!!

At some point the future media that is the INTERNET needs to merge with the overpriced, underfriendly “offline” world.  I for one have started walking down the path.

Filed under: Cable Television, Homelife, Media by gspies
1 Comment »