Cable TV (or, Why can't I get ESPN without paying $60?)

I'm not one to watch TV with much regularity - in fact I went several years without a television at all. I do enjoy a good movie, but regular television programming just annoys me. Its too full of reality tv shows that in fact have absolutely nothing to do with reality. When was the last time you ever had to vote people off an island in real life? That's what I thought. It also has tons of mind-numbing commercials with wardrobe malfunctions or rich dumb girls strutting around fast cars and rubbing soapy water on themselves......well, okay, maybe i could make an exception. You get my drift though. It's generally just crap.

There are, however, one or two channels I do enjoy. Believe it or not, FOX ranks up on this list. Why? Because for some reason it tends to have good shows. I usually have one a season that I'll watch: most recently it was 24.....solid. FOX news is also up there for the amusement factor -- I find it entertaining to watch them pretend to be unbiased. "Fair and balanced", oh that's great. I was watching an interview the other day with an Amnesty official, and when it became clear that the host could not get around the legitimate point the official was making in criticizing the Bush administration he paused, and asked: "Isn't it true you contributed to the Kerry campaign?". As if that has anything to do with the facts that were being presented!

But I digress.

The other two channels which I would like to receive are ESPN and Comedy Central. Comedy central just cuz it's damn funny, and ESPN because I like my sports. And except for football (Redskins rule!!), the sports I like are not mainstream enought to get playtime on the non-cable channels (which is all i get). Wimbledon is a great example. Often considered the first among equals when it comes to the tennis grand slams, Wimbledon is always a treat to watch. It started today, and of course it's being broadcast on ESPN, but not the regular channels. No -- they'd rather show the Spurs and the Pistons, which until last night's game ranked among the most un-interesting finals in basketball history. I also like to watch soccer, along with the rest of the known world outside this wierd country. Most Americans just can't seem to get into it, which is inexplicable to me. It's an amazing sport, and it's captivated the rest of the world. And guess where they show it? That's right - ESPN.

Now, it's not that I'm averse to paying for the luxury of receiving these channels. I can deal with that. What annoys me is that in order to get ESPN and Comedy Central, I have to buy a package that has 120 channels of crap for $60/month. And when I ask why it's so expensive, they tell me cuz I'm getting 120 channels! I don't want them! All I want is to watch Wimbledon and The Daily Show. Is that too much to ask? Apparently so.

Here's a free idea to anyone who wants it: a self service, pick your channel, tv service. Have several packages, or just charge a flat fee per channel. You'll make money, people will be happy, and several infomercial-only channels will die much deserved deaths.