Forum

Dropped CNN and FOX News Channels

posted by omegamadina on March 2nd, 2010 at 1:36 PM EST

Tuned out CNN and other mainstream news sources

After dropping CNN and Fox News from my channel list, I find a huge drop in my family's anxiety levels.

Poll

Total Votes: 14
Results	\|	Other Polls

Comments

Dropped CNN and FOX News Channels | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)

fox is part of the basic pkg

Rating: none / 0

by Chinese Democracy on on March 2nd, 2010 at 1:45 PM EST

I cant drop it

Part of the reason fox gets more viewers is because it is in the basic pkg the others are in the tiered pkgs

the only way I could drop fox propaganda is if i shut off my cable

: Control settings?

Rating: none / 0

by Byronofsidius on on March 2nd, 2010 at 3:24 PM EST

Is there perhaps any way of using the parental control settings on your television to disallow access to Fox News? This might turn out to be a way to keep the cable but black out/mute the noise machine of O'Reilly and company if it works.

[ Parent ]

Just those channels?

Rating: none / 0

by EveningStarNM on on March 2nd, 2010 at 3:33 PM EST

I listen to NPR, and I read the top stories from the BBC, NYT, and Google, as well as listening to TYT and reading various other well-respected commentators. I haven't listened to CNN for years, nor have I ever listened to Fox.

My anxiety level is too high.

The only thing that helps reduce my anxiety level is when I quit paying attention to the news, as I have to do every few days just to stay sane. The almost complete corruption of our government, the sheer stupidity and dishonesty of Republicans, and the spinelessness of elected progressives makes caring almost worse than useless.

NFL?

Rating: none / 0

by sisco66 on on March 2nd, 2010 at 7:43 PM EST

I don't watch Fox News and have thought about just blocking the channel. Do they track that stuff?

The question is whether we should watch the NFL on Fox or Nascar, or even local news. Anything that Fox touches? How far should we take this? The tentacles reach far and wide.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wik i/List_of_assets_owned_by_N ews_Corporation

'Tentacles' and Advertising Revenue

Rating: none / 0

by Byronofsidius on on March 2nd, 2010 at 8:37 PM EST

If you're a football fan of the diehard sort, or Nascar for that matter, I wouldn't worry about watching the games you can't miss just because they're on Fox. Watch them! But try to pay attention to which advertisers are pumping money to the network during the game in the form of commercials. If those same advertisers are the ones who pump money into the programs you despise on Fox News, then you might want to consider finding the game on the radio, if possible.

The advertisers pay attention to the ratings. If they see that their ads are getting views via the Neilson boxes during one particular presentation but are getting a dramatic drop from another, they're going to take that into consideration when shopping around for programs to paste their ads onto. It isn't much of a suggestion, I know, especially considering that it's sort of moot if you're not a Neilson-tracked home, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

Or you could try to be a minimalist, taking in as little media as possible and encouraging those around you to do the same. If you're not watching the television or listening to the radio or reading the magazines, or (nowadays) heading to certain websites, you can take a few steps back and really consider the information that you have obtained thus far. This time will allow for introspection, and give you the chance to ask yourself if it's worth not watching the game on Sunday or not.

Because you never know which Sunday is going to bring the most spectacular events in the NFL for the season. I mean, I didn't get to see it when Eagles fans were talking all about the great game Westbrook had in week 3 this last year, and damn it, I had a chance to watch that game and didn't. A couple of my friends were even AT the game that week!

(grumble grumble lucky pricks grumble grumble)

[ Parent ]

: B-cid

Rating: none / 0

by sisco66 on on March 2nd, 2010 at 11:20 PM EST

I passed on that game this year, but did watch it from home. I figured going to the games was one way around the Fox issue. I have had season tickets for the whole Reid era minus the first year, which is how I got the tickets.

I also got see Westbrook paly Delaware when he was at Vilanova. There was one game where he had over 300 all purpose yards, maybe even close to 400. There was a point during his first year with birds where the pros started looking like college kids again when he had the ball. Very sad to see him go. He shoud have sat out until the playoffs after the first head shot.

I keep thinking about canning the TV and phone package and just go wireless. However, I am also a Flyers and Philies fan. There is a lot to be said about the piece of mind you get when you don't know what's going on, or have to see the corporate propaganda.

I would be happy with just a pure sports package and netflix.

[ Parent ]

re

Rating: none / 0

by Tony227 on on March 2nd, 2010 at 7:45 PM EST

Mainly watch MSNBC, I do have CNN on my channel list though but only because MSNBC has crap for weekend programming.

If you want the news on Saturday, CNN is about the only option. On MSNBC you get shows about prisons >_<

MSNBC also has crap late night programs, here in California by 8pm they are already running reruns of earlier shows from that day.

Fox.... well my GF would castrate me if I ever turned that on.... hell i'd castrate myself I think. :P

I used the Add/Erase feature..

Rating: none / 0

by bluefella on on March 2nd, 2010 at 10:07 PM EST

I used the Add/Erase channel feature to remove the Fox News Channel from the lineup when I thumb through the channels. Don't ever have to land of that one.

You don't have to...

Rating: none / 0

by Milltycoon on on March 3rd, 2010 at 12:47 AM EST

...block these channels. You could just not watch them by ...not watching them, no? I get the Speed Channel on my basic Cable package. I think it is related to the ESPN team, but I don't know. I have utterly no interest in watching racing of any kind, so I just don't click to that channel, or I click to it in passing and then away from it one second later. Despite it not being blocked, I haven't watched 30 total seconds of that network this year.

And that principle can go throughout your household so that you never have to hear unwanted programming. If you have a wife/husband/parent who loves watching FOX/CNN, then they won't want to have the channels blocked anyway, and if they hate it, they can avoid the channels just the same. And if you have children who are a hassle to wrestle the remote away from, chances are they are not tuning into cable news networks with their free time.

It's easy enough to set up a favorites list

Rating: none / 0

by gatekeeper50 on on March 3rd, 2010 at 3:28 PM EST

and leave off all the bullshit

Dropped CNN and FOX News Channels | 10 comments (10 topical, 0 hidden)

	Yes	64%
	No	35%

Forum

Dropped CNN and FOX News Channels

Poll

Has anyone else tried this?