Could cable lose its grip on TV business?

Cable companies may be raking in profits as they add more broadband subscribers, but price-sensitive consumers may only be a discount away from ditching them.

Comcast and Time Warner Cable managed to report profits and add broadband subscribers, but they each lost video subscribers. The sluggish economy and slumping housing market are mostly to blame for the poor performance in the TV market. But growing competition, especially from phone companies offering their own TV services, is also taking a toll on cable's subscriber base. Experts warn that if cable operators aren't careful, the subscriber slide could continue. The biggest problem the cable companies face is that their customers don't like them. And if given enough incentive, they are willing to switch providers or cancel their TV subscriptions altogether.