A sure sign that there are too many TV hours to fill.

[Fly320s]

ESPN2 is showing the USA Jump Rope Championships.

Of course, it's not as bad as the Domino tournaments. 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

How's you like to be the person who approved spending advertising dollars for that programming?

Regards,
Rabbit.

[The Rabbi]

In my view, virtually everything on TV is testament to that.  Two years ago I went up to Kingsport for a class.  We stayed in a motel with cable.  99 chanels.  A couple of nights there was not one thing that could hold my interest.  I just dont see the point.

[Stand_watie]

... 99 chanels.  A couple of nights there was not one thing that could hold my interest.  I just dont see the point.

The irony is that if you like sciencey shows, 6 - 10 am is primetime. The discovery channels, the learning channel, the history channel, animal planet, biography channel, the military etc have some really good stuff going these days.

I have I think about 50 channels in my package (dish network's basic package) and about five them (all in that vein) that I watch. There are about 15 or 20 more of that sort that I don't have that I'd like to, and wish I could trade the other 45 worthless channels for them.

If I home-schooled I'd use a lot of the programming I currently watch as teaching aids. I wish someone would put together an inexpensive cable package with just that sort of stuff. Maybe target it at home-schoolers and eggheads.

[The Rabbi]

I didnt see any of that.  The best I saw was a symposium of history professors discussing religion and the presidency.  That was interesting.
The rest of it was World Poker Championship and ridiculous game shows.

[tyme]

No matter how silly the program, no matter how obscure the tv channel, there are hordes of tv junkie couch potatoes who will watch it.

[The Rabbi]

The scary thing is that those people vote.

[Monkeyleg]

Hey, things could be worse.

Several years ago, while on a motorcycle trip along the northern coast of Lake Superior in Ontario, I had to overnight in what cannot even be described as a "town." It was a gas station/cafe/motel, and that's it.

There was no phone, so I couldn't talk to my wife. There was at least a TV, but there was only one station. It was some sort of science channel, with shows about insects. And it was all in French. Not even subtitles.

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

I'm still trying to find out who proclaimed poker a 'sport'.

Next year it'll be Invitational Championship Chrome Rusting and International Paint Drying.

Regards,
Rabbit.

[cosine]

Next year it'll be Invitational Championship Chrome Rusting and International Paint Drying.

Now that's just all kinds of funny! 

[Jamisjockey]

My dream would be for Cable/Dish to be Ala Carte.  I don't want about 90% of the channels, but to stick you uncle sam style they are all lumped together.

[MechAg94]

Don't forget the Grass Growing Invitational. 

I heard they canceled the Mosquito Bite Contest due to health reasons.  You can still come to the Mosquito Festival in Clute, TX regardless.   

[mtnbkr]

My dream would be for Cable/Dish to be Ala Carte. 

It'll be a happy day in the Allen household when that happens.  I'd be willing to pay 2/3 my current cable bill for 1/3-1/2 the number of channels as long as I get to pick the channels.

Chris

[LAK]

There is so much trash on TV these days it is difficult to zero in on anything worth watching at all. Some History Channel, PBS, Turner Classic Movie and American Movie classics are about all I can watch when I have the time and schedule to do so. And even these four have a fair share of junk as well; TCM the least of them perhaps. Most irritating is channels like the History Channel switching to "paid prgramming" during the night.

A better system IMO would be the option of a selective subscription service; a set fee per channel for 24-hour programming per customer.

Local stations in spanish in Houston seem to outnumber those in english - and why not even one of the english ones can not show movies or something other than paid programming late at night through early morning is beyond me.

------------------------------------

http://ussliberty.org
http://ssunitedstates.org

[Art Eatman]

Another vote for ala carte.

Believe it or not, there once was a time before there was TV.  Radios had tubes.  Then came TV!  We had a choice of three channels!  Three Networks:  Awful Bad Crap, No Better Crap, and See BS.

You guys are spoiled.  (Nahhh, Art, not really; all younguns smell funny.)

, Art

[Iain]

I grew up with only four channels relatively recently. There always seemed to be something good on to watch, but I was never allowed to watch it. Had to go out and play, or failing that, Lego.

Then they introduced Channel Five and things went downhill. Of course some say that it all went downhill when I was a mere bairn in 1982 with the introduction of the amoral Channel 4.

Just practicing the old fart thing. I'll vote for paying just as much for a more limited selection of what I want. I really don't need E!.

[mtnbkr]

I'll vote for paying just as much for a more limited selection of what I want

No no no.  I don't want to pay just as much for less.  In that case, I can ignore what I don't like.  I pay about $45/month for about 60 channels now.  I'd be willing to pay $2/channel if I could choose the ones I'd want.  We'd end up with about a $20-$30 bill.  If my 10-15 channels ends up costing the same $45, I'd just as soon get the full package and have the OPTION of watching the other channels if I choose to do so.

Chris