Chapter 6

Apparently, there was a time before cable.  I don't see how people would have been able to get by with just 5 channels and really poor reception.  As long as I can remember, we've had cable, though.  I actually remember a time when people could even "steal" pay-per-view shows.  In particular, an uncle of mine used to "steal" wrestling PPV's by taking a screwdriver and twisting some kind of screw in the cable box.  Anyway, cable was such a good invention and provided so many people who couldn't receive broadcast waves in rural areas with a good source of entertainment.  It also gave people who could, even more channels and entertainment.

Throughout the time that television has been created, there's been a lot of shifts between wireless and wired broadcasting.  Cable would be considered wired, and things like satellite television and the early forms of broadcasting would be wireless, I guess.  In modern times, it's really just been competition between cable companies and satellite companies.  They both are able to deliver modern day television and programming to pretty much anywhere in the world.  It just seems to me that satellite and cable companies aren't being as competitive as they could be.  Prices have sky-rocketed since 2000, for cable and satellite companies.  I remember my parents only having to pay maybe 50 or 70 dollars

Probably the newest form of wireless programming, though... would have to be the internet.  A lot of telelvision shows are streamed online.  A lot of people think that nobody's going to watch TV anymore, but right now, networks make sure to put some kind of delay between airing a show on TV and streaming it to their website.  I've found the shows that I watch to have something around a week delay.  I think that as long as netowrks keep doing this, people will keep watching TV.  Although if this changes and networks reduce the delay time, then people might not see a need for television anymore.  With the invention of wireless internet and WiFi coming with almost every laptop, people could probably start watching programs on their laptops wherever they go.