Posted on 05/10/2013 10:23:58 AM PDT by BO Stinkss
John McCain, the media’s favorite “maverick” – unless he’s actively running for something – has just introduced a bill in congress called the Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013. Normally, my iron clad rule of thumb is to take any side this guy is against but I have to admit he may have a point here. The bill would allow consumers to buy only the cable channels they want “a la carte” and not have 500 others jammed down their throats. Does anyone recall the original promise of cable TV? More than 30 years ago we asked, “why should we pay 20 dollars a month for TV when it doesn’t cost anything now?” The official answer was, “because programming will be commercial free!” Not only that, we were going to get much more than the dozen or so channels we were used to. That was then. My, how times have changed. They were certainly right about the channels. We got hundreds. And then, hundreds more. And every damn one of them has commercials up the wazoo except the classic movie channel. (Their policy is to remain commercial free but to destroy your will to live with commentary by Drew Barrymore and Cher.) The cost of cable, which is easily over 200 dollars a month, doesn’t even include any of the other movie channels which are all “extra”. Why in God’s name am I paying for hundreds of channels of programming I have absolutely no need for?
I’m not the parent of small kids anymore so I don’t need Nickelodeon or any of the kids networks.
I’m an English speaking American so I don’t want 10 Spanish language stations.
I’m not a liberal so I have no use for CBS, NBC, ABC, PBS, CNN, MSNBC, HBO, or “Comedy” Central.
I’m not gay, (or even sure about all those letters in that LGBTQ thing), so I don’t need Bravo, Logo, or HDTV.
I have no interest in professional sports so I don’t want ESPN, or any of the other 20 sports networks.
I don’t choose my entertainment based on the color of people’s skin so I have no use for BET.
I’m old enough to remember the original Global Cooling Hoax so I don’t want the Current network.
I love my country so I don’t need Robert Redford’s channel.
I’m not an imbecile so I have no use for MTV or E!
I’m not a 10th Century Savage bent on beheading people because I just saw a woman without a dishrag on her head so I don’t want Algore-Jazeera.
In fact, ironically, more than 30 years after first getting cable I think I can now narrow my viewing preferences down to a dozen or so channels. Look, I don’t want to dictate to anyone else what they can and should be watching. If you want to start a new LGBTQ network, go right ahead. More power to ya. And if you want to choose between 20 LGBTQ networks on your cable system you have my blessing. I just don’t want to pay for it anymore.
The corporatist lefties don’t want you to have a choice.
There should be a charge for airtime, that’s all. It wouldn’t matter what channel you used. Just pay for the time you are watching. That way, people can channel surf all they want, and watch what catches their eye.
Spot on info! We have a winner!
McCain knows this too, just that it sounds like he is working hard for the lowly and downtrodden.
He should just go lay in a corner someplace and growl and bark.
As much as ala carte programming sounds good, there is a pit-fall. When the cable company see's that everyone wants a certain channel, the cost will go up accordingly. The more people want a channel, the more it will cost. Ala Carte is great for people who love the obscure channels that few people watch. Guaranteed, any savings had by ala carte programming will quickly disappear once no body buys all those channels you don't watch.
Either that, or price controls are put in place, and the government dictates how much per channel cable providers can charge; yes even more regulation than currently in place.
But unless the studios are willing to spend money on good tv, we’ll end up within thing but a bunch of (comparatively) cheaper to produce crap like Honey Boo Boo and Amish Mafia. You may want good TV, but someone has to pay for it.
I pretty much agree with your choice except I would swap FOX News for FOX Business.
It’s funny how many FReepers think the gov’t can change the law and make things cheaper. I said it on the thread yesterday on the same subject: $10/channel or 200 for $100.
If al la carte comes, it won’t be cheap.
Good point...just add FOX Business to my list :-)
“Same with me. I’m sick of paying for Logo, BET, Telemundo, Univision, ect ect.”
I would argue the opposite. Blacks and Mexicans probably watch fewer channels on average than the typical subscriber. I mean how many Spanish cable stations are out there? Just sayin
Well, they can either offer a la carte and bundling options or they can continue down the their current path of losing viewers to the internet.
Everything is available at no cost to you somewhere on the internet.
BINGO!
Throw in ME tv.
When I got Dish Network about 15 years ago they offered ‘Ala Carte’ channels.... minimum of 10 channels at $1.50 channel per month.
So 10 channels cost me $15 a month... but some channels weren’t available this way, such as FOX News.
They later dropped it, but I was grandfathered in. Mothballed the dish when I went to Iraq, when I got back they wouldn’t let me have the old plan so I dropped Dish... and TV in general. 7+ years of no broadcast TV - it’s been GREAT!
I mean how many Spanish cable stations are out there? Just sayin
I don't know where you live but there are a whole lot of Spanish channels here were I live and they are adding more by the month. Frankly I'm sick of paying for them so I don't know what there really is to argue about.
It is only a problem for those that think that prices wll stay the same. Gaurentee, the very same people advocating for ala carte are the same people that will bitch up a storm when capitalistic principles kick in.
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