How do you define free TV?

[Wild Card]

On the wrestling thread I notice that people have been calling wrestling shows that come on cable as “free shows”. Well, their definition of free television is different than mine. Here’s how I define a free TV show: any show you can get with rabbit ears. In other words “Over the Air” (OTA) programming.
I don’t consider any cable programming free because in order to get the channels you have to pay a regular subscription fee to a service.
So what do you call free TV and why?

[Ontir]

If you can get it over the air, without a monthly subscription, it's free. If you pay for a service like cable or sattelite, that's PayTV. If you pay one of those services an extra fee to see a one-time exhibition, it's Pay-Per-View.

[dougputhoff]

To me there's no such thing as Free TV. Broadcast TV is paid for sponsors. Sponsors add advertising expenses to the cost of producing their product.

[Forefinger]

On the wrestling thread I notice that people have been calling wrestling shows that come on cable as “free shows”. Well, their definition of free television is different than mine. Here’s how I define a free TV show: any show you can get with rabbit ears. In other words “Over the Air” (OTA) programming.
I don’t consider any cable programming free because in order to get the channels you have to pay a regular subscription fee to a service.
So what do you call free TV and why?
What was meant by the statement about the shows that come on "free TV" were talking about wrasslin' that you don't have to pay EXTRA to see, such as a PPV. Odds are that you are going to pay your cable bill regardless of if you watch wrasslin on there or not.

[SUPERECWFAN1]

What was meant by the statement about the shows that come on "free TV" were talking about wrasslin' that you don't have to pay EXTRA to see, such as a PPV. Odds are that you are going to pay your cable bill regardless of if you watch wrasslin on there or not.


Eactly...hence why we call RAW,ECW,Smackdown, and TNA ..Free TV. You pay a monthly cable bill but get free hours of wrestling without paying extra for it. Ala the PPV's and why I blasted TNA in that thread.

[Wild Card]

Forefinger you make the cable bill sound just like the electric bill. Which it is not becuse some people don't have or even want cable. (A guy I use to work with told me that the reason he don't get cable is becuse he don't want to pay to wacth TV.) Still others who do have cable only get the basic pakage. And wouldn't the reason you get cable is to get progarms you can't watch on regular TV?

SuperECWFan Smackdown comes on UPN(soon to be CW) witch is the last time I look is OTA. So Smackdown is the only wrestling show that I would call free.