We don't have channels like you do. We only have stations and you have to subscribe to view that certain station. I pay 30bucks for all the stations I watch.

>>9459997
So you don't get any for free?

>>9460013
dude, they have to pay to fucking SEE A DOCTOR

what makes you think TV is free? next thing you know theyll be paying for the air they breathe

>>9460013
If you elect to be in the ad-viewing bloc with mandated 4 hours of ad viewing slots then you can get free channels.

Each provider has a different channel order, but most have the same cable channels. You pay for a package and you get a block of channels. The providers are all regional, too.

>>9460031
Can we, for once, not let this erupt in a n'th OMGMURRICANSRFATLOL/LOLYUROPEEYUNTRASH thread?

I like to converse with our American rowboats.

On-topic:
So, if you hook up a TV, don't you get any stations, by default? Not even a news channel, like CNN?

Your cable companies are privatized, right?

Americunt here

TV has several different "tiers"

>1) Broadcast TV: free, basic channels. Perhaps 3-10 channels depending on your location/size of your city. Mostly news, sports, and a handful of popular shows (think sitcoms, dramas... FRIENDS, ER, soap operas, etc -- usually reruns). No nudity and no swearing.
>2) Basic Cable TV: "basic" package, roughly 20-30 USD/month. Usually 80-120 channels, of pretty much everything from "cable news" (CNN, FOX, etc), current sitcoms and dramas, Discovery/History channel. No nudity and some swearing.
>3) Premier Cable/Satellite TV: "basic" package, plus "premier" content that might have "adult" stuff (HBO, Cinemax, etc) and further channels, mostly broadcasting the same type of things you'd find on basic cable, but with more variety. 150-1000 channels, usually running 40-80 USD/month. Includes "pay-per-view" softcore porn channels, basic tits and regular "hard" swearing like "fuck" "cunt" etc frequently seen on HBO-tier channels.

>How are the television channels arranged in the US? Are there certain channels that can only be viewed in certain states and certain channels that are available throughout the country?

Television stations are arranged locally in the United States, but they have the same television networks. ABC, NBC,CBS, and FOX and the like are more like television production companies and they own the stations in major cities. Most of the television stations in the US are owned by other companies which act as affiliates.

Most programing outside of primetime are syndicated (or syndicrap), and rarely there are any real local programing except the local news, which sucks. The programs produced for primetime are made by the television networks. In addition, there are no television channels that broadcast nationally.

>>9460078
This.

It's also worth noting that getting the top-tier package is quite wasteful - that's the kind of situation where you have 10 golf channels and so on. Once you get the Discovery Channel and the History Channel, you're done for good.

>>9460107
Please note, that I'm talking about broadcast television in the US.

>>9460072
>So, if you hook up a TV, don't you get any stations, by default? Not even a news channel, like CNN?

>Your cable companies are privatized, right?

Monokid, ff you hook up a TV using a television antenna, you'll get local broadcast television only. As regarding cable companies, cable companies in the US, and in general North America has always been private.

Where do you live?

>>9460078 here

also there is no difference between programs state-to-state, besides local tastes; you won't see the no-BBC-iPlayer-in-Ireland type of problem between, say, New York and New Jersey or California and Oregon (states neighboring each other). Of course, there will be local news channels and local sports channels by region, but those are almost all "broadcast" stations operating on a very small scale anyway, catering to a specific area (hence "local").

>>9460013
Well you have to buy an antenna and a digital decoder box (for older TVs)... But I live in a small city (Baton Rouge) and there are 15-25 TV channels being broadcast for free.

I don't really see the point of cable/sat. as they still display advertisements even though you are already paying for the service.

>>9460124
Thanks for informing us! I live Belgium, by the by.

With the emergence of Digital TV, using digital encoders, we're nearing a somewhat similar setup like in the US.

>>9460184
Not to mention most cable television in the US just offers more of the same programing on broadcast television unless you like certain niches, movies and sport.

>>9460197
>encoder
I'm stupid. I meant decoder, of course.

>>9460072
No, Cable News Network is only on cable.

>>9460252
FOX is usually FTA though.