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TELEVISION Meet the cable-cutters Consumers move away from traditional packages to save money, target their viewing Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Jul. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Jul. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News No matter how consumers watch television — live, recorded, on demand or streamed — they likely want a better deal. The latest example came last week, when Dish Network reported its largest quarterly pay TV subscriber decline in its 36-year history, a 281,000-customer decline for the three months ending June 30. That's 200,000 more defections than the same period in 2015 and far beyond Dish's previous quarterly subscription loss of 156,000 at the end of 2010 when consumers were chucking economic ballast to keep afloat during the Great Recession. Frisco, Texas-based TDG Research three years ago showed the pay TV industry on a steady decline from its peak in 2011. Consumers have done little to alter the projections indicating that subscriptions will fall from a height of 100.9 million households in 2011 to fewer than 95 million in 2017. More recently, eMarketer suggested the market would decline at an accelerated rate to nearly 2 percent annually in 2019. Television viewers wanting to cut costs blazed their own TV trail, combining broadband service to everything from AppleTV to Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Video, Chromecast and Roku. The competitors are at the gate, Dish noted in an SEC filing, citing: "Aggressive marketing, bundled discount offers combining broadband, video and/or wireless services and other discounted promotional offers, as well as cord cutting." Even so, Dish Network and DirecTV representatives plugged away at last week's Jackson County Fair, offering a variety of services to attract new customers, steal them away from competitors, and maybe even lure the cable-cutters back. Felix Walters of Butte Falls and her boyfriend, Brad Miller of Central Point, made the move away from cable and satellite months ago, subscribing instead to Nextflix and HBO GO. They stopped by a satellite sales booth and were satisfied there was no need to return. "When the cable bills got too high, we just switched over to Netflix and HBO because it was more affordable," Walters said. "One person wants to watch Disney shows, and one person wants to watch horror movies. It's easier than trying to get everything onto the DVR." Neither of them are sports fans, so there was no inclination to go with an expanded service. "I don't really mind cable or satellite, but if you're not really into sports, there is not really a point in having it," Miller said. "As long as you have the internet, Netflix and Hulu, you pretty much have as much as you watch because all of the shows are being put on within a few months after they air." Dish Network representative Sam Bonsall has been in the industry for eight years, including a stint retailing for Comcast. Ultimately, he said, most people want to reduce their costs. "Sometimes when you finish a service agreement, if you switch, it can reduce your bill," Bonsall said. "Other people are looking for new equipment. If there something they would like to have, we can go that route with them. There are people who don't like change and want to stay with the same package they've been in for years, and they're usually the ones that complain about their bills, but don't want to do anything about it." For other people, the availability of specific programming is a draw. Dish has an advantage in Oregon over DirecTV and Charter Cable, for example, because it carries the Pac-12 Network, meaning virtually every Duck or Beaver athletic contest is available. Not everyone is cutting the cord or ditching satellite service. Long-time Dish customers Tom and DeAnn Carlton of Eagle Point were actually looking to expand their subscription as they strolled through the fairgrounds. They split their time between the Rogue Valley and Arizona and want to add service when they're in the Southwest. "We wanted to see how we could do that without it costing a lot more money," DeAnn said. "I have to watch golf," said her husband. Margarita Valenzuela of Grants Pass has been with Dish for 16 years and has no intention of leaving. "We tried DirecTV and Charter," Valenzuela said. "We've had a good deal with Dish for a while, and nothing is too high. We're happy with it." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/greg.stiles .31. By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Follow @@GregMTBusiness Posted Jul. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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