Consumers have begun clamoring for it, and the Federal Communications Commission is now pushing for it, but the idea of “a la carte” programming is, unfortunately, still getting a weak reception among major U.S. cable companies.
Allowing viewers to decide which channels they want to buy rather than having to pay for bundles of channels provides the flexibility and choice that consumers deserve. Instead, Comcast and Time Warner, the two largest cable providers, insist on force-feeding their customers dozens of channels they don’t want or watch.
Consumer choice is growing in such areas as on-demand movies and TV shows and downloading music from the Internet. A la carte cable channels are available in other countries. American viewers should have the same consumer-friendly choice.
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told a House committee earlier this month he wants cable TV providers to provide a la carte programming so parents will have more control over the content that comes into their homes.
Of course, parents already have that control with parental locks on channels and that trusty device, the remote control. Cable operators have responded to Martin’s concerns by developing “family-oriented” packages. Then, with a straight face, they diss the idea of a la carte programming by saying it would raise consumer prices.
Oh, suddenly the cable industry is worried about consumers and rising prices!
Here’s their real concern: Not all channels pay for themselves (but they still make money), so less-viewed ones are packaged with popular channels, such as CNN and MTV, with fees for the bundle covering the costs of niche programming. Under a la carte programming, some fare, such as Black Entertainment Television, the Golf Channel and the Independent Film Channel might have trouble surviving, the cable industry contends. That’s a concern, but shouldn’t be an insurmountable problem.
The FCC can’t order cable systems to change their packaging, but we hope the marketplace and technology will exert some pressure. The expected encroachment of telephone companies onto cable’s turf could provide such pressure.
Cable companies, if forced by competition into providing a la carte programming, may be tempted to jack up the prices on popular channels. Consumers and perhaps regulators will have to be alert for price-gouging.
Every day we move deeper into the “on demand” world, where we watch what we want, when we want. Consumers eventually will get their a la carte programming – with or without the cable companies. They’d be wise to go along for the ride.
