John McCain Introduces Cable A La Carte Legislation To Stop Bundling

Deadline ^ | 5/9/13 | DOMINIC PATTEN

[Teflonic]

John McCain wants to unbundle cable and to stop broadcasters like CBS and Fox from moving their stations to pay TV. The Arizona senator right now on the Senate floor is introducing The TV Consumer Freedom Act of 2013 (read it here). The legislation is intended to “allow the consumer, the television viewer who subscribes to cable, to have à la carte capability. In other words, not required to buy a whole bunch of channels that that consumer may not want wish to subscribe to,” McCain said moments ago. The former GOP Presidential candidate also went after broadcasters like CBS and Fox who have said that they could move to cable if they lose in the courts against Barry Diller’s Aereo streaming service. “We’ll also establish consequences if broadcasters choose to downgrade their over-the-air service,” McCain told the Senate. His legislation would also eliminate the sports blackout rule “in events that are held in publicly financed stadiums.”

The proposal is expected to meet heavy resistance among the cable companies. ”Only Dish and Cablevision have been for a la carte and smaller bundles because we think it’s consumer-friendly”, Dish Network chairman Charlie Ergen said during his company’s conference call today. “Having said that, there are five big groups that probably have enough clout in Congress to stop that legislation today. He added that “the marketplace is going to determine” if the price is too high. “There’s an awful lot of people who don’t consume (200 channels)”, he said, “and most of us would like to look for creative solutions”.

“This is unfair and wrong — especially when you consider how the regulatory deck is stacked in favor of industry and against the American consumer”, he said. “You can only do that when you have a monopoly”, he added.

[truth_seeker]

I would like to pay for tv, by the day. I only watch something important a few times per year.

My wife uses it to go to sleep, and I can give her that from streaming “over the top” options, like Netflix.

[Joe 6-pack]

"John McCain wants to unbundle cable..."

Great idea McClame. How about we unbundle legislation while we're at it? That way we won't have absurd, irrelevant riders tacked on to necessary bills....

[ilovesarah2012]

I hate watching news on broadcast or cable channels because they have so many commercials. I am used to reading news online and have no patience for five minutes of commercials. I don’t watch any regular TV shows because they are all about homosexuals. Even HGTV, which I watch sometimes, loves showing homosexual couples buying a house. Not interested. Sports sometimes but even that is ruined by so many commercials.

[andyk]

In for a penny, in for a pound, I guess. Nice to be a statist.

[CriticalJ]

IMO, McCain is a friend of anyone who puts a dollar in his pocket.

[Blue Ink]

Are you suggesting that water and electric be privatized?

That’ll make you very popular with your neighbors.

Acknowledging that some things government should do — like field an army and regulate who gets to dig up public streets — doesn’t make you a statist.

[Paine in the Neck]

I’m all for unbundling. I won’t have cable/sat again until I can pick just the shows I want.

BUT...I’m even more for John McCain and the rest of the incompetents in DC keeping their $##&%#&^# hands off the private sector.

[andyk]

Oh no, I’m with you. They owe us big time. Thanks for correcting me. We all deserve the entertainment we want. Just because they’ve negotiated right of way, doesn’t mean we can’t force them to do what we want.

[usconservative]

I dropped DirecTV a year ago, I don’t care what pricing Cable/Satellite tv has anymore, I’m not buying. I refuse to have my hard earned dollars support and fund the Lamestream media - who I consider an Enemy of Freedom, in any way period.

[Orangedog]

So this is the most important thing on McCain’s plate right now? Cable bundling?

Anytime that douche-bag can devote his attention to something that isn't goring my ox, I'm okay with it. I got rid of cable nearly 3 years ago and haven't looked back.

Like there would be any real choice anyway. With only 3 or 4 companies owning all of the cable stations, they all play the same programs anyway, most of the bad. Hell, it got too stupid when they started playing professional wrestling on the science fiction channel. Cable is mostly entertainment for the insipid.

[TomGuy]

McCain promised to do that before he ran for president in 2008!

Then, he got sidetracked by some related to baseball drug testing.

Priorities, ya know.

[Tigermoth]

I don’t get it. “Legislation To Stop Bundling.” Sounds like the Fascism of a government telling business how to do business. How is that different from passing legislation to tell doctors how to provide healthcare ?

If a business wants to use a model other than bundling, what’s stopping them ? Why does Senator McCain want to use government to dictate how business is run ?

How are cable companies a monopoly, when there is satelite and internet options ? The Senator is about 15 years behind the curve on that one.

I could be wrong, but I don’t see how any of this is Federal government business.

[KC_Lion]

The Blaze- Yes, I only wish Direct TV would get off their azz so I could watch it at the Gym (also my Local Radio station kicked Glenn's Radio Show to the night time which means its bascily two day old news)

Fox News- Only if I have too or if it's Greta. Faux has slipped too much into liberal territory latey, it's no wonder Sarah left.

History Channel- I miss when it wasn't Swamp Loggers 24/7, although when they put their mind too it they come up with great stuff (Third Reich- The Rise being one)

History Channel 2- I miss it being History International, got the older History Channel shows.

Sci Fi Channel-Oh, you mean that wrestling channel!

The Hub- As long as the keep a certain show going than fine, if not........well........

[GraceG]

I will admit, I am addicted to "Ancient Aliens" if nothing more than I am convinced that the one guy on that show is related to Londo Molari from babylon 5, they guy almost has the same hair and the same sense of fashion sense...

Have you seen "Defiance" on scifi, it stars Grant Bowler from Atlas Shrugged movie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Bowler

I keep thinking, gee that Hank Rearden, they need to make a Iron works joke, and I am waiting for it everytime I watch that show.

[TomGuy]

I don’t get it. “Legislation To Stop Bundling.” Sounds like the Fascism of a government telling business how to do business.

What if every time you bought a gallon of gas you also had to buy a gallon of milk?

Or if you wanted a loaf of bread you had to buy a head of lettuce?

Bundling is doing the same thing. It is forcing consumers to buy unwanted items (channels) in order to get desired items (channels).

Why bundle? Because it forces the consumer to supplement those channels that only a half-dozen people watch.

[AllAmericanGirl44]

Thank you, was waiting for someone to make that comment.

Jeez McLame, does Benghazi trouble you at all? Arms dealing in Syria ring a bell? Border control, yea, the one you made that fake commercial about during your pathetic campaign.

It’s gotten to the point where all I can do some days is laugh, they have thrown so much at the wall just watch people chase their tails.

[KC_Lion]

No, I haven't seen Defiance yet, I hear its good though.

Sounds like I need to make some time to watch it.

[GraceG]

No, I haven’t seen Defiance yet, I hear its good though.

Sounds like I need to make some time to watch it.

Be warned there are some sex scenes in it, thankfully it is TV nudity.

They could drop that part of it and I would still eagery watch it.

[Blue Ink]

“Just because they’ve negotiated right of way, doesn’t mean we can’t force them to do what we want.”

That’s exactly what it means.

Theater operators buy land and own theaters — they can show whatever movies they want. If you don’t like it, take your business elsewhere.

The television business is completely different. Transmission methods are entirely public owned.

Broadcasters do not own the public airwaves. We do. If they decide to show porn at 10 am on Saturday morning, we yank their license. That shuts them down. Until they’re responsive to those who own the airwaves and stop showing porn.

Cable operators do not own the cable infrastructure. We do. Lots of other companies would love the revenue from the franchise in a particular city. Well, they can’t set up shop and compete for those eyeballs. Only one company gets the right to all that revenue at a time. They have been granted a PUBLIC MONOPOLY. We own it; they’re licensing it. We’re the landlords, we make the rules.

Why is this so difficult for people to understand? It’s EXACTLY like the electric company or the water company. Their rates — and that’s what this is about, how much you’re going to pay — are and must be subject to regulation. Or they can give the franchise to someone who will operate it at rates acceptable to the public.

[oh8eleven]

Furthermore, this is not about monopolies.
Is that right? How many choices of cable companies to you have (not including satellite)?
I have one - Time Warner. Do you think if I had the option to switch to another, TW would still have raised my rates 25% in the last two years?