It started with homes, then cars, and now penny-pinching Americans, especially minorities, are giving up cable TV because they just can’t afford it in the lingering recession.
Instead, they are switching back to free TV, improved with the recent switch to digital broadcast, which requires a special antenna but eliminates the $70-$100 monthly cable, satellite or broadband service fee.
Industry officials had worried that Americans would begin “cord-cutting” in a shift to Internet TV, but the recession is more to blame, not Internet bling.
“It’s not so much cord-cutting as cost-cutting that’s motivating this. There’s possibly recessionary issues here,” said Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters.
An ownership survey conducted by GfK Media found about 6.9 million homes abandoned pay TV last year, a shocking number that industry sources chalk up to the sagging economy. What’s more, the survey found the number of Americans watching only free TV surged from 46 million to 54 million. GfK said that means about 18 percent of all homes with TVs, or 21 million, watch only free TV, a jump from about 14 percent just five years ago.
“When asked why they canceled TV service, the overwhelming majority, over 70 percent, cited cost-cutting; cord-cutting because of online options was cited by less than 20 percent,” said Dave Tice, senior vice president of GfK.
Younger Americans, minorities and low-income homes, socked by unemployment and the bad economy have jumped the cable ship in the highest numbers. The GfK poll found minorities make up 44 percent of all broadcast-only homes.
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Catholics step up war on Obamacare
With prayer and calls to Congress, Catholics are mounting a massive 14-day campaign to force the administration to withdraw its health care mandate on religious institutions. The effort heeds the call of Catholic bishops to pray, fast and organize against the controversial mandate during their “Fortnight to Freedom” that begins Thursday.
The movement described to Secrets by the Catholic Association will include emails to 1 million activists, a 60-second TV ad premiering on Fox that targets President Obama, a Facebook campaign and a call on all Catholics to commit to an action item such as prayer, calling their lawmaker or making a donation.
“This is not a Democrat or Republican issue, this is a freedom and First Amendment issue,” said TCA Senior Fellow Ashley McGuire. “The mandate empowers the federal government to redefine what is and is not religious to such an extreme point that not even Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity will be considered a religious organization,” McGuire said.
Catholic groups argue that the Health and Human Services Department mandate would require religious institutions to offer health insurance coverage of birth control and abortion, violating the Church’s morals. In the 60-second ad that includes a picture of the president, the announcer says, “We will defend our right to practice our faith free from government coercion.”
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Smooches for Obama in ‘sugar daddy’ poll
More than 30,000 women seeking sugar daddies have decided on the question “President Obama or Mitt Romney?” According to the popular sugar daddy dating site SeekingArrangement.com it’s Obama three to one.
But the so-called “sugar babies” aren’t going nuts for either: 42.9 percent said they wouldn’t pick the Democrat or Republican as their sugar daddy.
Brandon Wade, the founder of the site, said, “Most women say they chose Obama because he is more trustworthy, charismatic and sexy. Obama is funny and is known to be a good dancer. Unfortunately, Romney is still viewed by many as the vanilla candidate.”
Overall, 34 percent chose Obama as their sugar daddy; 12 percent Romney; 11 percent would take either; and the rest neither.
Politically, the poll is good news for the president. Wade said Obama beat Romney in all key swing states and even in some GOP strongholds.
Paul Bedard, The Examiner’s Washington Secrets columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]. His column appears each weekday in the Politics section and on washingtonexaminer.com.
