Pay TV providers fret over penny-pinching viewers

While a weak economy invariably makes people pinch pennies, this is the first time that viewing shows online has become a viable competitor to pay TV, making cutting the cord easier. Cable operators are starting to notice. Glenn Britt, chief executive of Time Warner Cable Inc., voiced his concern Wednesday in a quarterly earnings discussion with analysts. "We are starting to see the beginning of cord cutting," he said. "People will choose not to buy subscription video if they can get the same stuff for free." It's tough to pin down how many people actually have given up cable — most of the evidence remains anecdotal — and which customers moved to a competitor. Still, Time Warner Cable, the nation's second-largest cable operator, lost 119,000 basic video customers in the fourth quarter, even after excluding subscribers it gave up from the sale of some cable systems. The company also posted slower growth in new digital cable TV, Internet and phone subscribers. More details will emerge as other cable and satellite TV operators report earnings in the coming weeks.