I can't take it anymore--give me a real deal.

I'm gathering up my satellite TV boxes this morning and returning them.  It isn't that I don't watch anything or that I think watching is bad for me or morally wrong or anything like that.  It is the fact that once again, I'm facing a huge monthly bill rivaling my electric bill.   I'm being charged 56.99 a month for channels, 35.00 a month for equipment, 1.68 for other charges, adjustments and taxes.  Originally it was 42.00 a month total.  but that was because when someone comes onboard, they get specials, they get rebates, they get coupons. they get freebies.  As those go away, the price rises.
If I call them, they will offer me three free months of a movie channel.  If that doesn't entice me to stay, they will offer me three free months of three movie channels---then they will find another six month discount bringing me back to only 10$ over my starting price.  I could do that forever, they get their 1 month to 6 months of full price then discount me again.
But the actuality of the call to get the price back down, the time on hold, he number of phone transfers, the number of times I get cut off or some new and desperate telephone sales person decides to threaten me if I try to get out of an already expired contract, it makes me nauseous.  I put it off.  Thus, the six months at full price.
And what is it I'm being offered at this nice ridiculous price?  Channels 1-9999 as far as the guide is concerned.  But the reality is,  I have access to 165 different channels unless I want to get pay-per-view (not included in my bill, it raises it quickly if I use it)
Of those 165 channels, 11 are available locally if I get a good digital antennae. 50 are shopping and ads,  17 are news and weather, 16 religion, etc.  In other words, I'm going to miss BBC, and AMC.  Thank god for computer sites for these networks.  Most of the escapist crap I watch is on broadcast anyway.  And while I will miss the DVR, I'll live.  In 3 months I can buy one of my own with the money I've saved turning off the satellite-- if I miss it that much.
What do I want?  I want a Cable or Satellite company that gives me complete Ala Carte.  I only want to pay for what I watch.  I don't want to have to go past 20 pages of  Pay-Per-View listings to see what is on TV.  I don't want to see stuff that is not available to me.  I REALLY don't want to pay to have access to all the crappy stations that do nothing but try to sell me their junk.  I don't want to see line after line of the same show available.  And I don't want to be offered a special deal for a few months.  I want a good price.  I want a price that makes sense.  If I watch about 2 hours of TV per day, then I don't want to pay $1.50 per hour to watch what is available for free. There are very few great TV offerings. I enjoy some of the series.  But most of us just turn on the tube for the noise when we are alone, to mindlessly relax for a minute before going to bed, to escape.
I can do all that for $7.00 a month with Netflix.  I can get most of my preferred shows with a digital antennae or off the internet.  I guess the question to the company  is, does it really pay that well to install your equipment, keep a fully staffed group of people whose job is to keep you from cancelling when they lose their discounts, and reinstall them again when they come back in 2 years after going through the same thing with the other local TV access company?  Back and forth, back and forth, and with better choices for accessing exactly what we want without satellite and cable companies available every year.  Figure out what you really need to charge to provide the service your customers want.  Leave the prices alone.  Make them honest, none of those add on installation, equipment, tax fee surprises.  None of those sudden increases.  None of that crappy double-talk to convince people that they don't want to cancel, they want   three free months.  How about an honest price for an honest service.
And I know what you are paying your people, so who is raking in all that money?

Late note--4 hours after I cancelled, an earnest telephone customer service representative told me he could get me 3 free months of my preferred movie channel.  When I told him my starting price and my current price, he looked it up, then finally after thirty minutes of add-ons, offered me a year of 37.00 a month for my current package with all the movie channels for the full year and a 200$ visa gift card, bringing my price for all that to 25$ a month.  Did I take it?  I was tempted.  But at some point, enough is enough.  Quit screwing your customers in the first place.  Sell us what we want at a reasonable price.