After years with Comcast I changed to Astound because Comcast wouldn't match Astounds special offer… Now, six months later, I'm back to Comcast for exactly the same reason.

If this sounds like more trouble than it's worth consider what you're paying compared to: $24.99 / mo for Extended Digital Cable with HBO; and, $19.95 / mo for high speed cable Internet.

One of the great scams is when apartment owners sign up to allow a (usually third rate) cable company to provide services in the complex (in exchange for a generous kickback to the owner).

I have always thought one of the problems with cable is that local government force the cable company to provide public access channels. In my area, the county, school district, local university, and a couple of cities all have dedicated channels. That is an overhead costs not borne by the satellite companies.

Also, as the phone companies get into cable teleivision, the market will be split three ways. That is probably an unsustainable market. Also, exlcusive deals such as NFL ticket on satellite only ends up limiting consumer choice. If you want NFL ticket, you have to get a dish.

By and large, that's simply not true. I work for a cable company and I know of no community where we have an exclusive franchise. Plus, in a growing number of communities, there is now more than one option for local landline multichannel video service.

Furthermore, the rising cost of cable TV is primarily driven by the rising cost of the channels offered. Unfortunately, when cable operators attempt to put new, high-cost channels (like NFL Network) on optional service packages or sell those channels “a la carte” (like HBO is sold) the channel owners refuse.

In short, most of the problems you are experiencing are a result of the bully-tactics employed by the conglomerates who own TV channels/networks. The pure-play cable operator is as much a battered ping-pong ball in this equation as the end-consumer is.

My news and entertainment comes via the Internet, and anything else comes from me going outside rather than sitting on the couch each evening. I may not know what the latest scandal is with the leading pop stars… but I've found that “drug” to have less of an effect on me as time passed by.