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I have 70 channels on extended basic cable.

I would glady give up 40 of the junk ones so I did not have to wade through them to get through the 30 semi-decent/viewable ones.

a la carte should be mandatory. The only trouble with that is subscribers would have to use digital cable, rather than analog -- and the cable co automatically bumps up the cost of digital for the box, etc.

Still, dropping 40 junk channels (and their current costs) could make up for the added digital connections.

I might work out in your favor, but it might not. What would happen if you broke up the teirs is that some channels would have to charge more to stay afloat than they currently have to pay. And, ala carte programming would substantially increase the cost on the cable side, since it would be more labor and system intensive to authorize channels on cable boxes 1 at a time instead of in preprogramed packets.

Under and ala carte system, you might be one of those people who's channels choices are unchanged or possibly even cheaper than you presently pay. Maybe, the savings would be substantial enough to offset the increased your provider would have to charge you for the greater logistical burden the ala carte system would place on its resources. However, that's no guarantee. It could just as easily go the other way, and you find yourself paying higher prices for your channels, plus more to the cable company for the greater work load, and find your bill doubled.

I have 70 channels on extended basic cable.

I would glady give up 40 of the junk ones so I did not have to wade through them to get through the 30 semi-decent/viewable ones.

Given a la carte pricing, odds are you'd end up with only twenty channels being offered, only ten of which would meet your "decent/viewable" standard.

Imagine, for example, how long Gore TV could stay on the air with a la carte pricing...