There was a time when television programming was free. The biggest expense was the purchase prices of the television its self. To receive programming, the television was attached to rabbit ears or for rural areas, an outdoor television antenna. Then came cable television. Today, in many areas basic cable costs about 30 dollars per month. Extended basic plus the premium movie channels can easily cost over 100 dollars per month. That means over 1200 dollars per year for a service that you may not need. Here is some good news. If you want the absolute cheapest TV programming, cut the cable.