The painful price for basic cable

Re “It’s Basic Cable’s Time to Show Off,” by Lynn Smith, July 15: It’s true that basic cable is available without [the added charges for premium cable]. However, there is a steep price to pay. The viewer must endure an inordinate amount of advertising, which is a cost much more painful than shelling out dollars. For every five minutes of content, there seems to be four minutes of commercials. Most of these cable programs have become multi-product infomercials with a tad of entertainment thrown in. Movies are macro-chopped to fit in more advertising. One can seldom read movie credits due to screen-filling “coming attraction” ads.

Not satisfied with all of these disruptions, many networks plaster dreadful pop-up ads throughout their shows. With the exception of Turner Classic Movies, I find basic cable unwatchable, regardless of its improved content.

ROBERT KUEHL

Palm Springs