Yes, you read that correctly. I do not want to continue paying the $9 a month to access our Dish TV satellite service while traveling in our RV. Cost is not the reason I want to cancel. I believe the $9 fee is quite reasonable. It’s certainly not because of poor service. Service has been great! No matter where we’ve traveled, we’ve always been able to access a satellite that delivers all the programming I could ever want. Everyone from the company’s “change service” reps to the “technology support team” has been superb.
So why cancel Dish TV?
I want to dump our Dish RV service for many reasons. First, I am exhausted by the daily reports of violence. I know it’s not the networks’ fault. They are simply reporting the news. The problem is that the news is always the same. Names and locations might change but violence remains constant. It doesn’t matter much where we travel in our RV. From north to south and east to west, the local and national news remains the same. Day after day, we see and hear all about it: murder, unprovoked and brutal attacks on strangers, drive-by shootings, domestic violence, carjackings, hostage situations, looting, and more! Frankly, I’m sick about it and exhausted from hearing it.
Getting my husband to agree? Not so simple.
My husband’s not as ready as I am to ditch the Dish TV. “Just don’t watch the news or the news channels,” he advises. Right. But if he’s watching, I’m watching by default because we’re in an RV. There’s not any space for me to “escape” to, especially as the weather turns colder.
The political ads
The news is bad, but the political ads? Well, sometimes they seem even worse. And the ads will only increase in number and frequency as we get closer to the elections. I don’t think I’d mind so much if the politicians did something except shovel mud at their opponents. I’d like to hear some fresh policy ideas or some new thoughts about ways to battle, say, violence, for instance.
Programming
The comedies aren’t funny. The dramas are predictable. And instead of coming up with anything new and different, successful series have beget hollow clones of themselves—albeit in different locations or emphasis. Most programming is, in my view, a waste of time.
It used to be that new shows were released in the fall. The hype for new programming played on air for weeks prior to the “premiers.” And most times, the hype was well-deserved. Now it seems that television writers have become lazy, and viewers simply accept whatever we’re given.
An RV “No TV Zone”
As I think about it, I’ve been craving an RV “No TV Zone” for a while now. When I envision time away from home in our RV, watching television doesn’t enter the picture. I’d much rather listen to crickets and the crackling campfire than hear political ads. I prefer seeing a perfect sunrise or sunset to watching the news. And a conversation with another RVer wins over lame programming any day.
How about you? When RVing, do you watch TV? If so, do you watch regular programming (over the antennae, cable, or satellite), or do you subscribe to streaming services? Let us know in the comments below. (And wish me luck in establishing an RV “No TV Zone.”)
Editor’s note: If your comments turn political, they will be deleted.
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We have a couple of TVs, but really only one in the RV is used. During the winter we are parked on a lot and the first thing DH does is set up the outside TV. I set up record on progams I like to watch. DH watches most everything he wants to outside. But for example tonight it is too chilly to be comfortable outside so he has the Christmas movie thing going on while I have headphones and computer stuff going on. Some days we will just be reading or working around outside. The TV with Dish is a convenience just like the microwave and heater. Some times it get used and sometimes not. I love being able to record a show and then fast forward thru political and other ads that I don’t need to see.
Actually there is less violence now than in the past, especially in the US. It’s just reported more efficiently.
Political ads don’t exist in totalitarian states.
And some of the programs are really great. I have more than 100 to choose from at any given time.
My favorite part (ok, one of my favorites) of camping in Key West is no television. Of course, that’s my opinion. My wife will watch as much television as possible given the chance.
I take my coffee outside in the morning and write while she gets her morning fix. Then we make a point of getting away from the camper for most of the day (weather permitting) returning for prime time (unless we find something interesting while we’re out). This has been a workable compromise.
I can usually get several stations with the antenna wherever I am. Besides local news and weather, there are a few shows I like but enjoying the great outdoors is my main reason for camping.
We do not have a TV in our rv nor do we I intend to. We are in nature and we enjoy each other’s company.
Seems like the author just doesn’t know how to turn the channel. There IS something for everyone.
Watch the 700 Club and all the programming on TBN – Trinity Broadcast Network. You will be happily surprised how better you feel about life in general.
We use TV on rainy days, late night before bed, and on super hot days. I hate heat. Rarely watch news never watch ABC, NBC, CNN or the like. We watch Discovery, Animalplanet, National Geographic, History Channel, Travel Channel, Magnolia, some football and women’s college volleyball.
Yep! This about the same for the DW and me, tv was not the purpose of our Coach. Northwest weather nasty we read and watch tv or just go out in the rain, not a big deal. We were in Florida a few years ago at Disney world, one of the rain storms came through everyone headed for cover except us. There was another couple walking towards us, he said “what part of the Northwest are you from”. Enjoy life!
I agree with the no TV zone. Our TT has a antenna but has not be used since we got it. Your camping enjoy the outdoors.
I started streaming in the RV two years go and parked my dish. Now I stream at home also. The mifi through FMCA makes it easy and much less expensive plus when the internet goes down in the house I can use it.
I don’t have a TV in the RV for all the reasons you list. If I want to know the news, I subscribe to a number of online newsletters and decide by the headline if I want to be depressed that day or not. Usually not wins.
On our DISH remote we have a channel up and a channel down plus a “Guide” to make an intelligent choice in what you want to watch
Could ditch the TVs at home too for all I care. We do watch the evening news to keep up on local issues, but could easily do that via internet. I agree that the programming is just about useless. I have found that most of the programs I watch are BBC!
I agree on the news and am sick of the political ad’s. They don’t tell us how they will help us, but lie and tell us negative stuff about their opponents. If they only used their advertising money to benefit us instead of making the news media rich.
I didn’t buy a RV to watch TV, it was to get away from the family’s electronic stuff at home. To experience the outdoors, take up hiking, ride a bike, see the mountains views, boating swimming at lake and get out and do stuff. Listen to live music, try to play a guitar / percussion, cook some different foods, walk on the beach, play some board games or cards with the family.Talk to my wife and kids about anything important to them. Make some memories with yourself and your family while you can and don’t waste anytime on TV.
Then turn your news program off! Sorry but what do you expect the news to be? I remember reading a NBC news program from the 60’s recently. It didn’t tell us readers that is was from the 60’s until the end. It did not sound much different than todays news….we’ll not toonmuch different anyway. Listen to music that you like, or old movies or game shows or whatever floats your boat. Good luck! (Don’t throw out the baby with the bath water). We all know what you mean.
Dish, DirectTv, Roku, you name it, they all “broadcast the news” at some point in the day. I find this post very sad that someone want to convince their spouse that because “she hates what’s going on in the USA and the world, he has to give up watching TV.” Her excuse that they are in a RV is “BS.” Put on a “noise cancelling head set” and read a book, no matter how small your RV may be (even if you can’t go out because of rain) you can escape. Bottom line, no man, or woman has the right to say “you can’t watch TV because I don’t want to see it.” The world is NOT one big happy place and it not 1950. GEEEEZZZ.
Told dealer we didn’t need a TV but they all came with one. On the road, wife turns it on in the AM to check the weather in the area. At home we have always been “over the air”. Wife- Jeopardy and Perry Mason. Me black and white movies. You WILL NOT drag me out of the 1950s!
My Airstream trailer has a wonderful radio, an antenna television that sometimes gets channels, and a bluetooth at&t something that doesn’t work.
Permit me for one last thought. We traveled through almost every state east of the Mississippi from early June until today. Along the way we met so many kind and decent people of many colors, religions, sizes, shapes and ages! And zero political nastiness, and zero name calling. Just lots of friendly decent folks, their families and pets included. Despite all the rhetoric on tv etc., there is still so much to be thankful for in this country!