US cable TV has never been viewable outside of North America+, and that you pay for. Why is it all of a sudden a problem that you can't watch your shows when you're traveling?
(+unless a provider in another country happens to carry the same shows.)
SBS in Sydney carries The News Hour with Jim Lehrer and independent radio station carries Democracy Now with Amy Goodman and a few NPR shows .. not to mention the best, most authentic roots reggae show you ever heard!
That's just it. The content owners don't want to lose that revenue stream from regional networks by giving it away for free (ad supported) For now the regional networks/providers are willing to pay more than ad revenue can generate. This is one of the areas Hulu could succeed with a paid subscription model.
What I have a bigger problem with is that Hulu content cannot be viewed outside the US - so when you travel you can't watch a quick movie or TV show (unless you proxy it).