Would you rather pay for cable by the channel?

Would you prefer "a la carte" cable channels?

  • Hell yes

    Votes: 5 55.6%
  • I like my cable the way it is

    Votes: 1 11.1%
  • I don't have cable anyway

    Votes: 2 22.2%
  • Final Fantasy sucks

    Votes: 1 11.1%

  • Total voters
    9

BCampbell

Staff Member
Registered
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/10/business/main1304323.shtml

This is really interesting. I would love to pay for only the channels I want to watch. What's fascinating about this story is that there are so many issues involved on so many sides:
  • Lawmakers hope to use it as a way of filtering channels that may have objectionable content for children
  • Cable companies don't want the government interfering with thier business
  • Consumer groups are happy to see consumers having more choice
  • Special interest groups are worried that programming targeting certain demographics may not make it to air due to lack of widespread support
I think that, if this is based on the idea that it's a way to censor cable TV, it shouldn't be done. While I find the cable companies' complaints hollow (like they really want to get the government out of their business; the government allows cable companies to run what are effectively monopolies within their markets), it's probably best if something like this happens through market forces rather than regulation.

I would like to have the choice. I only watch maybe 8-10 different cable channels, and there are some on the extra-cost "tiers" that I'd get if they weren't bundled with other channels I don't want (I want SPEED channel, but I don't want six channels about bass fishing and four about tennis). But I think there is a valid concern that smaller, niche channels will be squeezed out. There are a lot of channels to choose from, and let's face it, most people probably get cable just so they can watch ESPN. There are a few channels that I just happened to discover that I would have never thought about watching otherwise; Trio was an awesome channel until it got canned recently, for example. And if channels are getting canned with the current strategy, it'll probably be worse under the new one.

But why can't cable companies offer this pricing strategy in addition to the bundle pricing they already have? I find it hard to believe that it would be any more difficult, or that they're actually concerned that it would be more expensive for the consumer (that would only benefit them, after all). Since cable companies have practically NO competition, I doubt we'll see this happen though.
 
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I hope it does go through. You are right about the monopoly on cable (or satellite). They control what we see, and when we see it (except for TiVo type stuff). Why should I pay the same price for the 5-10 channels I might watch (if I had cable) as the guy (like Asylum) that surfs the waves of 50 channels a day? Why should I pay to watch channels that I don't like or want? I don't speak Spanish, yet there are Spanish channels. Why?

Censorship is not the core issue. Money is. The cable companies will get less money if some of the useless channels don't sell. The wonderful variety they offer would have the fat cut out and prices would drop. They started this stuff themselves long ago with extra movie and sports channels. Now take the idea to full bloom.
 
Oh God how I would love that. Really, all I watch Fox, Spike, Cartoon Network, NESN and ESPN. I don't need the 6 Discovery Channels, Fox News, Nickelodeon, Disney, blah blah blah.
 
I concur. I just watch Cartoon Network, Comedy Central, and whatever channel is showing Duke basketball. Every now and then I will watch one of the movies on Spike, TNT, TBS, or USA. But rarely. Oh, and the oodles of scrambled porn channels.


Oh and Final Fantasy sucks.
 
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Well, most people think of me as an FF fanboy because of my name. Not that I can blame em. I'm just saying that my FF is good stuff.