Advertisement fees barely pay the electric bills of the networks. Soros and the Koch brothers and people uber-rich like them were the main supporters of the old media. It was free but totally corrupt. Designed to propagandise the people. It was free but you were the product, your attention and propaganda to feed your mind was what they sold to the Soros' type. I am not saying there is not corruption in the new system, but it gives people flexibility on what they support.