Another election year and again local citizens are well informed on the candidates running for New Mexico offices. How long are we going to tolerate no Colorado news on the free TV channels? Candidates running for governor and Congress should wake up and make Colorado TV available. We have votes, too! Sign me, “Where’s My New Mexico Ballot?”
Another election year, and again, local citizens will be well-informed ... that Action Line isn’t into TV and hasn’t been for more than 15 years.
Oh sure, Mrs. Action Line will play a DVD from the Durango Public Library every so often, usually in the dark of winter.
But the daily stream of bothersome, noisy network nonsense ended long ago. TV is simply irrelevant.
Many might find this utterly unenthusiastic utterance irksome. But not “Cord Cutters.” They said buh-bye to cable, satellite or traditional broadcasting.
According to estimates from eMarketer, about 8.4 million U.S. households will be Cord Cutters by the end of next year.
That seems like a lot, but it’s dwarfed by the nearly 20 million “Cord Nevers,” households that never had cable, satellite or broadcast TV. In other words, millennials.
Getting them to pay monthly fees for TV they don’t like or watch would be like offering a land-line telephone with dial-up internet.
Just to be fair, most of these household have some sort of streaming or on-demand service.
However, there is a segment of the population called “Zero TV.” Its roll call was 2 million in 2007, soaring to 5 million in 2013.
For some reason, the TV industry seemed to have stopped tracking this figure, perhaps thinking that if no one measures Zero TV, it would go away.
In any case, cord-cutting struck a chord with Mrs. Action Line. Over the past decade and a half, at least 789 “Law & Order” reruns have not been watched and at least $10,000 has not been paid to cable providers.
But that’s beside the point.
The question at hand is about Denver TV for Southwest Colorado.
In a late 2016 ruling, the Federal Communication Commission said it was OK for satellite providers and networks to provide Front Range programming to the Four Corners.
But Albuquerque television stations have objected, so things are on hold until the appeal is settled.
It’s kind of amazing the power the Duke City has over Durango.
Not only must we get our news from New Mexico, but also our mail.
Ironically, Action Line received this question via hard copy sent in an envelope. Thus, a local query about New Mexico television arrived at the Durango newspaper bearing an Albuquerque postmark.
Albuquerque is Durango’s stepsister city, a co-dependent relationship based on proximity and isolation and nurtured by long-term neglect.
So when it comes time to cast your ballot Nov. 6, remember your choices:
For governor, it’s Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) or Steve Pearce (R). Should our congressman, Ben Ray Luján (D), get a sixth term? Vote today!
And if Durango were to receive Denver TV, things would be a lot different.
Instead of hearing about Albuquerque traffic, meth busts, pit bull attacks and gang violence, we’d be fully informed about Front Range traffic, meth busts, pit bull attacks and gang violence.
Email questions to actionline@durangoherald.com or mail them to Action Line, The Durango Herald, 1275 Main Ave., Durango, CO 81301. You can request anonymity if your mail-in ballot has to go to Albuquerque to be counted in Colorado.
