Cable "A la carte"

[vibe]

A la carte cable is a great concept. The only way to get to that point is for subscribers to cancel their service en masse and only pay for what they want/need.
But we are too hooked on the existing product as flawed as it is.

 

[w9wi]

A la carte cable is a great concept. The only way to get to that point is for subscribers to cancel their service en masse and only pay for what they want/need.
But we are too hooked on the existing product as flawed as it is.

I fear it wouldn't work nearly as well in practice.

It's still going to cost Comcast and the channels just as much to operate, and to make the return on investment their executives promised.

They can collect it selling you a single 40-channel package for $60/month. If you go alacarte and only want 15 channels, they'll make it back by charging you $4/channel.

 

[The Voice of Reason]

This topic has been brought up before. Al La Carte' isn't going to happen. Cable companies make a great deal of money by selling time to informercials and religious broadcasters. Under Al La Carte' hardly anyone would pay to watch the Rev. Pickem Pockets asking viewers to donate money to keep his/her multi-million dollar church on the air. Nor would anyone watch a 1/2 hour show dedicated to phony hair replacement, how to lose 50 pounds in 30 days, or get rich staying home programs.
Even some of the more popular stations might have problems generating an audience since many of these operations run the same movies on a regular basis.
Al La Carte' is a great idea, but the cable lobbyists will make sure it never comes to fruition.

 

[kenglish]

If the FCC wants to implement A la carte, they should start out by requiring the Cable companies (and satellite, too) send out an itemized bill once or twice a year. List what every channel costs, plus the basic costs of supplying the cable connections.

Then, let the customers demand A la carte, if they feel it's necessary.