Do newer televisions need dish or cable?

No, newer TVs do not need dish or cable, at least not in the US. There may be instances where someone living in a remote locale cannot get any "regular" broadcasts from stations in the area, but most people live in a place where TV signals are still broadcast in a "conventional" way from a local station. There is an issue in that the new regulations have allowed broadcasters to go to a "digital" format, and you'll need a converter if your "newer" TV isn't capable of handling that new TV modulation scheme.

Dish or cable is an option for TV viewers, and the issue centers on whether an individual wants to watch one or a few local broadcasts for free, or wants to watch a whole stream of broadcasting that is only available from a provider who carries all those signals for a price. That's what dish and cable are all about; they offer large numbers of stations and different packages or "groups" of signals to appeal to the family, the sports enthusiast, or the film aficionado. The more you want to watch, the more it costs to get those signals.