HBO and CBS-TV took a shot across the bow of the cable TV industry by announcing plans to offer a streaming service separate from cable subscriptions, effectively cutting the cord as a stand-alone product.

Consumers of the boob tube have long complained about being forced to purchase channels they weren’t interested in to get the channels they want. Not interested in sports? Too bad because you are still going to get ESPN, one of the most expensive channels out there.

In a rare display of bipartisanship, Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) attempted to introduce legislation that would have allowed consumers more choices, but that effort stalled out.

Now HBO and CBS-TV have decided to join companies like Netflix and Amazon Fire TV by offering programming directly to viewers. There are 80 million households in the U.S. that currently do not get HBO and the cable channel is counting on many of them wanting their programs without having to get a slew of channels they’re not interested in.

It is estimated that 45 percent of Americans stream television shows at least once a month and that number is certain to grow. Is this start of the demise of cable television? It may be too soon to tell, but when a broadcast outlets like HBO and CBS-TV break away from the pack, you can be sure cable executives will be tuned in.