By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –Follow on Facebook & X.
Former editor of 4 TV magazines. Author of TV Dot Com.
The TV Answer Man reported yesterday that Comcast Xfinity is now selling its Choice TV package of local channels (including CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox affiliates), which can be watched for free via antenna, for $60.40 a month. The news raised some eyebrows but it appears that Comcast is not the only cable TV operator offering a package of ‘free TV’ for a hefty fee.
Cox Cable is selling a plan, called Contour TV Starter, which includes the network affiliates with a mix of other channels available via a TV antenna, for $61 a month. Like Comcast, Cox tries to enhance the plan by including some audio channels and a streaming device, but the video lineup consists of the free channels available on an antenna, and some public access channels.
In addition to the networks, Cox’s Contour TV Starter includes the local Univision, HSN, ION, PBS, MeTV, CoziTV, and several digital stations. You can see the lineup here.
The cost of Comcast’s Choice TV plan includes a Broadcast Fee, which is approximately $25 a month; the plan itself is itemized as $35 a month. However, the Cox Contour package has a straight fee of $61. (But there are taxes and other unnamed fees, according to the Cox web site. It’s unclear if that includes a Broadcast Fee which could add another $20 a month to the $61 a month bill.)
As we noted yesterday, the cable TV operators first introduced the starter plans several years ago as an alternative to new, less expensive streaming services. (Comcast was charging just $30 a month for Choice TV a few years ago.) But $60 a month for channels you can get for free via an antenna is now just $12 less than what YouTube TV charges a month for a plan of 100 plus channels, which includes the local networks affiliates and many basic cable networks such as ESPN. Plus, YouTube TV is now offering its first three months of service for $50.99 a month.
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The TV Answer Man is veteran journalist Phillip Swann who has covered the TV technology scene for more than three decades. He will report on the latest news and answer your questions regarding new devices and services that are changing the way you watch television. See the bio for Phillip Swann here.
