[april15Bendovr]

Please join general chat on this topic.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/1530286/posts?page=13

[Zon]

A cable company could include, among its many offerings,  a pay-per-channel option similar to their premium movie channels. I vehemently oppose government regulating how cable companies package or bundle their channels and services. I fully support cable companies offering customers a pay-per-channel option or any package or bundle. 

The oppressor no longer acts directly and with his own powers upon his victim. No, our conscience has become too sensitive for that. The tyrant and his victim are still present, but there is an intermediate person between them, which is the Government - that is, the Law itself. What can be better calculated to silence our scruples, and, which is perhaps better appreciated, to overcome all resistance? We all therefore, put in our claim, under some pretext or other, and apply to Government. We say to it, " I am dissatisfied at the proportion between my labor and my enjoyments. I should like, for the sake of restoring the desired equilibrium, to take a part of the possessions of others. But this would be dangerous. Could not you facilitate the thing for me? Could you not find me a good place? or check the industry of my competitors? or, perhaps, lend me gratuitously some capital which, you may take from its possessor? Could you not bring up my children at the public expense? or grant me some prizes? or secure me a competence when I have attained my fiftieth year? By this mean I shall gain my end with an easy conscience, for the law will have acted for me, and I shall have all the advantages of plunder, without its risk or its disgrace!" - Frederic Bastiat

[CodeToad]

I would expect that my $45 cable bill might only be $30-$35 if I could go A la carte. The reason is that the cost of providing the service doesn't change regardless of the number of channel provided. Each channel, of course, adds so much to my bill, but I would expect each channel to only contribute 25 cents to $2.

Of course, the congress critters would then add additional taxes to the cable bill because anytime they are involved with a price reduction they believe we won't notice a little more tax added in.

[TruthWillWin]

A few years ago the local cable company (Charter) in the town I lived in at that time offered a basic cable package for 19.95 a month. Not that they wanted to but after raising rated three times in less than 3 years they were bombarded with protests from angry subscribers. Or unhappy customers switched to Dish or DirectTV.

The 19.95 basic package was a joke IMO. Had the local networks and the rest were junk or channels like HSN. After a year or so they stopped offering the basic package and now the lowest price for cable is $54.99 for about 70 channels.

[RockinRight]

How much just to get Fox News, MTV2, Encore, and VH1 Classic?

[hispanarepublicana]

Goodbye BET, MTV, Speed TV, and every Spanish Language Network, Travel (aka The Poker Channel).