Wonder if this will actually happen. There is a sudden flurry of talk about changing the way our favorite government-supported monopoly, cable TV, is bought by consumers. I dont put much stock in the idea of the FCC doing anything pro-consumer, but perhaps market forces, ie competition from phone companies, will shake things up.
Two articles on ala carte purchasing.
Cable Companies See New Threat In FCC Shift on a la Carte Service
November 30, 2005
Sharp lines were drawn in a new battle over TV-watching yesterday, as cable operators and programmers strongly disputed claims by federal regulators that consumers would be better off if able to purchase cable channels individually instead of in pre-packaged bundles.
Their concerns were aired at a Senate hearing on indecent programming, where Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin said a forthcoming report on cable pricing will suggest that consumers may be better off buying channels individually or in themed tiers -- a reversal of FCC findings a year ago.
Such a move has long been backed by consumer groups amid rising cable rates and parents' complaints that they must accept channels they don't want as part of standard packages. Mr. Martin, who has been pressing cable and satellite providers to offer "family-friendly" programming packages, invoked such complaints yesterday, saying, "I think the industry needs to do more to address parents' legitimate concerns."
Cablevision Supports 'A la Carte' Programming
December 2, 2005
Cablevision Systems Corp. came out in favor of letting consumers purchase cable channels individually, putting support behind the Federal Communications Commission's push to offer "a la carte" programming.
Cablevision, the sixth-largest cable operator in the U.S., announced its support for a la carte pricing on Thursday, which lets customers buy channels individually or in themed tiers, rather than as bundled packages.
The "opportunity to purchase programming on an a la carte basis would be in the best interests of consumers," said Charles Dolan, chairman of the Bethpage, N.Y., operator. "We do not believe in the long term that selling programming a la carte will be detrimental to either programmers or cable operators."
And one on raising rates.
Cable Rates To Increase As Much as 6%
Comcast Leads Way, but Others Plan Smaller Moves as Competition From Phone Companies Heats Up
December 1, 2005
Most Cable-TV bills will continue to climb next year, with Comcast Corp., the country's largest cable operator, leading the way with a 6% increase for its most popular service.
But with industry pricing under scrutiny from the federal government and new competition emerging from phone companies, price increases at other large cable companies are expected to be more subdued. Cablevision Systems Corp., for example, is raising the price of its standard package, which includes channels like CNN, MTV and ESPN, an average of 1.3% to $46.73 a month. Cablevision's customers in the New York City region have been targeted by telecommunications giant Verizon Communications Inc., to be among the first to be offered its new television service.
