I have been changing my electronic delivery systems. In plain language we have morphed our TV, telephone and internet services into one company (Time Warner Cable) all in the name of "cost savings". I also dropped HBO from "cable". So we are now down to "rotgut" fees of $150 per month for everything. Then I remember the 1950's. TV delivery was free (yeah I know you only got 6 channels). There was no internet. Phone services cost between $6-$10 per month. We've come a long way baby.
So Friday night I noticed that my cable provider was teasing me. As I flipped through stations to find a good movie, I notice HBO and cineMAX channels were available. That had to be 20 more premium channels to pick from. Whoaaa? Friday was the day that all TV services switched to digital from analog. Did Time Warner make a mistake? Was I going to get billed for all these new channels?
So I became like a kid in a candy store. Lots of movies to chose from and some special presentations. HBO last night had a new sports talk show with Joe Buck. His first guest was the great Brett Favre. So I got to watch first hand the greatest show on earth. Favre kept denying he had made a decision to come back and the Vikings allegedly have only a passing interest. It was good drama. Like watching a stage play. Brett even swore because it was HBO.
Today is Tuesday. I went to my HBO and cineMAX stations to see what I had in store for me today. Gone! No more premium. I was back to normal. I have the same boring cost effective stations as before.
I know that the cable companies occasionally make premium channels available for short periods of time to entice subscibers to sign up. Then they pull them away shamelessly never to be seen again unless of course, I can find another $20-$25 per month. They were teasing me. Is that legal?
The lesson Grasshoppers is that electronic entertainment is expensive. There are many ways to spend more money. Don't be fooled. Lots of choices are nice. You can only watch one station at a time.
Love,
Dad