I hate cable TV contracts. We just reduced our bill by $60 a month by removing some bundle that I didn’t know we had and therefore never watched.

Call me a simpleton, but I watch 3 channels:

1. CBS – I watch 60 Minutes most Sundays
2. MSNBC – I watch the Rachel Maddow Show and the Last Word with Laurence O’Donnell
3. Fox News – I switch over to Hannity or O’Reilly when Rachel or Laurence go on commercial. Then I switch back to MSNBC quickly in disgust, most of the time.

Now you have it, that’s all I watch.

I want a TV plan where I can check those three channels, pay $5.75 a month, or whatever it will be, and be done with it.

The cable companies can keep their own drivel and not charge me for it.

This is the most exciting thing I have seen McCain do in years!

Where do I sign?

Pay TV providers have long complained that TV networks force them to carry channels they don’t want. But in recent weeks, those complaints have turned into action, with Cablevision (S CVC) suing Viacom (s VIA) to break up the network’s bundle, and Verizon (S VZ) starting to talk about paying programmers based on their performance, as opposed to a flat fee for a bundle of channels.

So who is trying to break up the bundle, and how? Check out our list:

Verizon: Putting its money where your eyes are

Verizon execs have been talking for some time about changing things up, to the point where director of consumer video services Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, who is responsible for the company’s FIOS TV service, said last year that cord cutting wasn’t growing fast enough for the company. The logic behind those remarks? If consumers cut the cord, then programmers are going to be more willing to rethink the deals they’re having with Verizon.

Verizon sells bundles – but it would like to change them.

Looks like this is now beginning to happen, at least on a smaller scale. The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend that Verizon is pressing smaller channels to pay them based on their actual performance, as opposed to a flat fee per subscriber. The result wouldn’t actually be a pick-and-choose TV lineup. Instead, Verizon would potentially distribute even more channels — but only pay the ones that are actually attracting eyeballs.

Making this model work won’t be easy for Verizon, especially when it comes to the biggest cost drivers, which are sports channels like ESPN. (s DIS) But some smaller channels might be eager to sign on. This could potentially lead to some cheaper bundles that offer actually more content, save for some of the most expensive fare.

Cablevision: Suing to get rid of the duds

Cablevision has chosen to take its attack on the big bundles to the courts: The company sued Viacom (s VIA) last month to get out of a contract it struck just two months earlier, arguing that Viacom is forcing the company to carry a number of channels its customers don’t want. The lawsuit is about a total of 12 channels like MTV Hits and VH1 Classic, but it could ultimately threaten the whole concept of a bundle — which is why it will likely get settled out of court.

Aereo: A new kind of bundle

Aereo is circumventing the cable bundle altogether with an offer that’s squarely aimed at cord cutters: The company offers streaming of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS (S CBS) and NBC (S CMCSK) for as little as $8 a month.

Aereo’s tiny antennas could have a big impact on bundles.

It’s undercutting the cable companies through the use of a legal loophole, which involves an elaborate setup of miniature antenna farms, and resulted in a lawsuit brought against the company by those very broadcasters. However, the company won a first round last year, and is now looking to expand to close to two dozen cities this spring.

To learn more about Aereo and the company’s take on the future of television, check out our upcoming paidContent Live conference, where I’m going to chat with the company’s CEO Chet Kanojia about these very issues.

Boxee: Unbundling the DVR

Boxee’s new Boxee TV device comes with a promising proposition: The device won’t just let you watch major broadcast networks without paying for cable, it will also upload any show airing on those networks to a cloud DVR with unlimited storage and streams them not only to your TV, but also to your iPad (s AAPL) or computer. Boxee’s cloud DVR is currently only available in limited markets, and the device itself has been met with mixed reviews – but the idea behind it is definitely disruptive, because it’s essentially TV Everywhere without the expensive cable price tag.

Netflix: Showing that you can succeed without a bundle

Netflix (s NFLX) has long shied away from discussions around cord cutting and cable bundles, with execs insisting that that wants to be complementary to cable, and that it will eventually just be another channel that consumers subscribe to, just like HBO.

Netflix’s House of Cards is like a cable show, but without a cable bundle.

However, the big difference is that you can only get HBO as part of a premium cable bundle. Netflix, on the other hand, is available to anyone, no matter whether they pay $50, $120 or nothing at all for cable.

That strategy has been working well for the company: Not only does Netflix now have 33 million subscribers, investors have also given the company a thumbs-up on its original content strategy, with stock roughly doubling since the beginning of the year.  And with new, original shows about to debut on Netflix every month this spring, the company seems to demonstrate HBO that you can, in fact, succeed without being part of a bundle.

Image courtesy of Flickr user HarshPatel;Photographer.

Pay TV providers have long complained that TV networks force them to carry channels they don’t want. But in recent weeks, those complaints have turned into action, with Cablevision (S CVC) suing Viacom (s VIA) to break up the network’s bundle, and Verizon (S VZ) starting to talk about paying programmers based on their performance, as opposed to a flat fee for a bundle of channels.

So who is trying to break up the bundle, and how? Check out our list:

Verizon: Putting its money where your eyes are

Verizon execs have been talking for some time about changing things up, to the point where director of consumer video services Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, who is responsible for the company’s FIOS TV service, said last year that cord cutting wasn’t growing fast enough for the company. The logic behind those remarks? If consumers cut the cord, then programmers are going to be more willing to rethink the deals they’re having with Verizon.

Verizon sells bundles – but it would like to change them.

Looks like this is now beginning to happen, at least on a smaller scale. The Wall Street Journal reported this weekend that Verizon is pressing smaller channels to pay them based on their actual performance, as opposed to a flat fee per subscriber. The result wouldn’t actually be a pick-and-choose TV lineup. Instead, Verizon would potentially distribute even more channels — but only pay the ones that are actually attracting eyeballs.

Making this model work won’t be easy for Verizon, especially when it comes to the biggest cost drivers, which are sports channels like ESPN. (s DIS) But some smaller channels might be eager to sign on. This could potentially lead to some cheaper bundles that offer actually more content, save for some of the most expensive fare.

Cablevision: Suing to get rid of the duds

Cablevision has chosen to take its attack on the big bundles to the courts: The company sued Viacom (s VIA) last month to get out of a contract it struck just two months earlier, arguing that Viacom is forcing the company to carry a number of channels its customers don’t want. The lawsuit is about a total of 12 channels like MTV Hits and VH1 Classic, but it could ultimately threaten the whole concept of a bundle — which is why it will likely get settled out of court.

Aereo: A new kind of bundle

Aereo is circumventing the cable bundle altogether with an offer that’s squarely aimed at cord cutters: The company offers streaming of broadcast networks like ABC, CBS (S CBS) and NBC (S CMCSK) for as little as $8 a month.

Aereo’s tiny antennas could have a big impact on bundles.

It’s undercutting the cable companies through the use of a legal loophole, which involves an elaborate setup of miniature antenna farms, and resulted in a lawsuit brought against the company by those very broadcasters. However, the company won a first round last year, and is now looking to expand to close to two dozen cities this spring.

To learn more about Aereo and the company’s take on the future of television, check out our upcoming paidContent Live conference, where I’m going to chat with the company’s CEO Chet Kanojia about these very issues.

Boxee: Unbundling the DVR

Boxee’s new Boxee TV device comes with a promising proposition: The device won’t just let you watch major broadcast networks without paying for cable, it will also upload any show airing on those networks to a cloud DVR with unlimited storage and streams them not only to your TV, but also to your iPad (s AAPL) or computer. Boxee’s cloud DVR is currently only available in limited markets, and the device itself has been met with mixed reviews – but the idea behind it is definitely disruptive, because it’s essentially TV Everywhere without the expensive cable price tag.

Netflix: Showing that you can succeed without a bundle

Netflix (s NFLX) has long shied away from discussions around cord cutting and cable bundles, with execs insisting that that wants to be complementary to cable, and that it will eventually just be another channel that consumers subscribe to, just like HBO.

Netflix’s House of Cards is like a cable show, but without a cable bundle.

However, the big difference is that you can only get HBO as part of a premium cable bundle. Netflix, on the other hand, is available to anyone, no matter whether they pay $50, $120 or nothing at all for cable.

That strategy has been working well for the company: Not only does Netflix now have 33 million subscribers, investors have also given the company a thumbs-up on its original content strategy, with stock roughly doubling since the beginning of the year.  And with new, original shows about to debut on Netflix every month this spring, the company seems to demonstrate HBO that you can, in fact, succeed without being part of a bundle.

Image courtesy of Flickr user HarshPatel;Photographer.

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Richard Halton of YouView has said a small number of consumers are currently testing the product.

YouView chief executive Richard Halton has revealed the forthcoming free-to-air broadband-connected TV platform is currently in the final user testing phase.

Formerly known as Project Canvas, the service has been struck by a series of delays and some analysts fear that it may not hit the market until after the Olympic Games – the year’s biggest sporting event, with an expected audience of millions.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Mr Halton said the final test product is already live in a “small number” of homes and plans are afoot to expand the pilot scheme.

“We are pleased with progress and will be extending these trials to hundreds and then thousands of homes in the coming months,” he explained.

YouView has regularly insisted it is confident about the prospect of launching in spring or summer of this year.

In an interview with Broadband TV News in February, Dido Harding – chief executive of YouView member TalkTalk – said the trials are continuing apace and the commercial launch is still set to take place in spring.

The in-home customer experience and provisioning aspects are being trialled before the full launch of YouView.

The ISPA has praised the recent broadband speed boost from BT.

BT’s decision to double its fibre optic broadband upstream and downstream speeds has been praised by the Internet Service Providers’ Association (ISPA). As of yesterday (April 12th 2012), new customers who sign up to BT Infinity 2 will receive maximum download and upload rates of 76Mbps and 19Mbps respectively.

Existing subscribers can also take advantage of the deal by either moving to Infinity from a different BT service or agreeing to start a new contract at no extra cost.

Commenting on the move, a spokesman from the ISPA said the organisation is in favour of network improvement plans from any of its members and hailed the benefits that BT’s announcement will bring to businesses and consumers.

The organisation claimed super-fast broadband access represents a “tremendous opportunity” for firms, particularly new businesses and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Investment in broadband infrastructure by members and the government should be the focus between now and 2015, rather than concentrating on speed increases, the spokesman insisted.

He added: “There should instead be a target-based approach, with greater emphasis on ensuring consumers and businesses are able to access the services they require.”

Some 3,000 engineers will soon be working on BT’s national super-fast broadband rollout.

BT has announced the creation of a further 150 engineering jobs to assist with its rollout of fibre optic broadband, boosting the number of staff involved in the project to 3,000. The new recruits are set to start in their roles next month and will support the telecoms giant’s goal of rolling out super-fast broadband to two-thirds of homes and businesses across the country by the end of 2014. More than seven million properties are currently able to access the service, with this figure set to rise to ten million this year.

Liv Garfield, chief executive of BT Openreach, said the company is “really pleased” with the progress that has been made so far in its rollout of fibre broadband.

“Through system and process enhancements, we’re delighted to be delivering fibre even faster,” she commented.

“We can only do this if we have the right number and calibre of engineers on the ground.” The news comes shortly after former BT executive Lorne Mitchell told a parliamentary committee that the company has fears over its staffing numbers.

According to Computerworld, Mr Mitchell said BT does not have “enough people on the ground” to meet its rollout target.

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Tags: Internet, Cable TV, Broadband, HDTV, HD, Cable bundles, Internet bundles, HD Television, Cable,

Digital phone, High-Speed Internet, Internet service, Bundled Cable, Cable Television, DSL internet,

Salesgirl: “Good Evening Ms. Star, I’m from ABC Cable company and I was wondering how you’re enjoying your broadband connection.”

Me: “Well, I’m not enjoying it at this moment, I’m watching television, but, when I do use it, I enjoy it.  Thank you.”

SG: “Well, I’m calling to tell you about how you can avail yourself of our other services for a low, low monthly rate.  Do you have a few moments?”

Me: “To be honest, I’m really not interested, but I know you want to tell me about them anyway, right?”

SG: “Well!  I notice you don’t have cable TV and, bundled with broadband and digital phone service, I can give you a really great rate!  Wouldn’t you like to add cable TV to your services?”

Me: “Not really.”

SG: (Taken aback.) “Why not?  You’d be able to get X number of channels and all the cable shows you don’t receive right now!”

Me: “Well, right now, even though I just get network TV, I still have to tape some shows while I watch others.  What on earth would I do with more channels?”

SG: “Ah…well, let’s talk about digital phone service then!  I can guarantee I can get you a lower long-distance rate than you’re presently paying.”

Me: “I doubt it.”

SG: (Taken aback again.)  “Why?  What are you paying for long-distance now?”

Me: “Nothing.”

SG: (Getting a little frantic now.) “But what about your long-distance calls?”

Me: “I don’t make long-distance calls.”

SG: (Slightly losing it.) “But what if you had to?  What if it were an emergency????”

Me: “I guess I’d just use my cell phone.”

SG: “You do understand that you could have all of these services I’ve described at just slightly more than you’re paying now?  I just don’t want you to miss this opportunity!  Are you absolutely sure???”

Me: “Well, let’s see.  Am I sure I don’t want to spend extra money on two things I don’t have and I don’t miss?  Hmmmm.  Yup.  But thanks for checking!”

SG: (With the tone of voice that indicated that she thought I was totally dumb.)  “Well, thank you for your time.  Have a nice evening.”

Let’s see, I just saved spending $40.00 more a month, which would be $480 more a year on something I don’t want or need…so am I dumb?  I guess so.

Dumb like a fox…