The problem with pushing for ala carte for ‘expanded basic’ is that it can probably only be offered via digital service. Many cable subscribers still receive analog service. The ala carte forces them to go digital, thus being charged more, because filtering dozens of analog channels per residence would be a cable company nightmare.
My cable changed their line up 3 years ago and made it mandatory for subscribers to accept at least 2 digital tiers of 4 offered. Each tier had 6-10 channels, but only 1 or 2 channels I would have ever watched, at an extra $10 per tier plus $5 for the cable box, plus $5 for the digital remote control. That was a hefty total cost of $30 to get maybe 3 or 4 watchables in the mandatory tiers.
I dropped back to expanded-basic analog. Recently, the cable co has been pushing digital telephone and digital cable that now requires only 1 tier* (still with only 1 or 2 watchable channels out of the 6-10 in the tier). That would again add $10 for the tier, plus $5 for the cable box, plus $5 for the digital remote control. Around $20 to get 1 or 2 watchable channels. Hardly a bargain.
If the digital did offer complete ala carte and I got to select 30 channels I wanted for a cost comparable to what I pay now or cost less since I would be getting fewer channels, it might be worth it. Right now, I get 70 analog and watch maybe 30, but I have to wade through the other 40.
I am all for ala carte, but I have a feeling it will end up costing consumers more dollars for less channels. I would bet the cable companies to charge more for the channels such as FX and TNT and USA, etc. — than they would for the Knitting Channel or the Watching Paint Dry Channel.
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* Cable co has been pushing digital. I am sure they are hoping to get us analog subscribers to switch. I would expect soon for them to discontinue ‘new’ analog connections and force digital on ‘new’ subscribers.
People are going to be upset when this passes and their bill goes up. You can bank on it. Just like when they broke up the old AT&T.
They will be charged more and have less content.
Ever thought of reading a book?