The fate of TCM

[Tomconroy]

I'm a bit worried about what is going to happen to TCM. It really only exists because Ted Turner loved old movies. As long as it was owned by Time Warner and Ted was on the board TCM had a protector. Then it and all of the Time Warner entertainment entities were sold to ATT and existed at the whims of corporate cost cutters. Now it's being sold again to some entity controlled by the Discovery Channel (I think).
TCM used to be a go to channel when we had Comcast Cable. We cut the cord years ago but I did read recently that Comcast had taken TCM off basic cable and stuck it with some sports channels in a premium, pay extra tier. The reason given was that TCM didn't have enough viewers.
I was so happy, after cutting the cord to find Sling TV offering a package of all the news and finance channels plus TCM. My life was complete. But I am worried that there will be no one at this new entity to protect old movies. I don't know what can be done about it.

[hlthe2b]

1. Discovery and all its properties are part of the AT&T deal

[rurallib]

2. I agree you have very valid reasons to worry about TCM

After seeing what has happened to entities like History channel and Travel channel etc. it is easy to imagine the worst for TCM.

[Submariner]

3. I recall MTV and VH1 doing music videos in the 80s

those stations show game shows and movies now. Nothing to do with music videos, which I thought were very popular.

[-misanthroptimist]

4. Probably the worst will happen

IFC and Sundance used to be great. I could find movies from independent film makers, many of which were strange and interesting. I have no idea of the details, but both have become channels that show mostly crap I don't watch -stuff blowing up especially.

Everything is being tossed into a blender these days, mixed together, and put out as "generic entertainment product." I've been buying a lot of blu-rays and dvds recently.

[JohnSJ]

5. I do not think anything will happen with their programming. They have a commercial free niche

that AT&T's spin off isn't going change

[Auggie]

6. Here's what I think will happen:

what we know of the TCM collection will be merged into the TimeWarner collection resulting in a blend of newer "classics" in an attempt to lure younger audiences to seek out the cable channel.

More films from the 80s, 90, and 00s will show up in programming displacing many from the silent era and 30s and 40s (with exceptions made for classics like "Casablanca, Gone with the Wind, etc).

And I wouldn't be surprised to see commercials pop up now and again.

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What I'm hoping for, someday:

The entire TCM Classic collection will be available On Demand for a monthly fee. How much would you pay per month for such an option? $10.00? $15.00?