You could not be more incorrect.
The government does not dictate programming. The DO dictate what they can charge for a package based on the costs.
The cable companies would be thrilled to give you a 100% a la carte channels. The problem is the basic cable cost (the cost for the plant, maintenance, etc.) would not change all that much.
Channels bundle (CNN, HLN,TNT, TBS, etc) because they can get the “subs’ (subscribers) for their advertising. They go to their customers and talk about being in 90% of homes. That is one of the things that they base their ad rates on.
In the end, it will transition all the way to broadband and even wireless. Why the cable companies haven’t installed high powered wifi in every neighborhood is beyond me. Its not like theft is the issue it once was.
If I still ran a cable company, I would try to move everyone over to Broadband and update the system to generate the fastest speed around. I could dump 2/3 of my billing system, I could dump my programming costs, and my plant maintenance and “head end” costs would drop.
I would tell my customers they could get the pipeline from me, and they can buy whatever programming they want.
But, the audience on Free Republic skews....a little older. (A lot older.) By the time the grandkids are 40, cable TV will be a distant memory.
Then why was this bill necessary?
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/mccain-introduces-la-carte-bill/61382
But you can’t offer me my choice of channels, legally, much as you might want to.