Cable Choice Momentum Catching

The consumer message of more choices, better service and lower prices is catching. The Christian-Science Monitor has a an op-ed urging policymakers to “Give cable some healthy rivals.” The conclusion the Monitor draws is a simple one:

The Telecommunications Act of 1996, which regulates TV and the Internet, needs a significant overhaul. Congress is unlikely to undertake such a battle royal in this election year. But reforming video franchising - and heating up competition between cable companies and telcos - is something it should tackle now.

C4CC is keeping the momentum up. Write your local paper and tell them you want a “healthy rival” to your cable company too.

Comments

[rudi]

you are not alowing me to change my pass word ????

[chris]

I have been reading and listening to the debate on offering cable TV in on an al la carte basis. With any change the cable industry would need to make an investment--spend some money--but the argument that they would lose money--god forbid--doesn’t add up to me. If cable TV got any lower in price and you could pick your channels I know many more people that would sign up. No where in the assessment of costs and profits have I seen any mention of a prediction of how many new subscribers would sign up for the first time or come back after hey cancelled due to rising costs. Nobody mentions the increased volume of subscribers and there for profit a company would earn by going al la carte. If just one company did this they could draw many viewers including myself to there service. Has anyone considered the potential for the new customers al la carte would draw and how this would offset the costs to cable company to offer al la carte and how this would at offset the additional costs?

[Budgetman]

I have often wondered why competition for local cable franchises has taken so long to come to fruition? This is very frustrating for the average consumer because we have never had any choice. We've been stuck for years, paying whatever our cable service decides to charge for whatever channels they decided to offer. I hope competition come soon!

[John]

Budgetman, have you ever heard of sattelite TV service? Isn't that a choice? But even if you go that route, won't you get pretty much the same channels? And won't you pay whatever they decide to charge? Who is your local franchise that controls how much DBS can charge in your town? How much money does your city receive from franchise fees paid by DBS providers?

[Edro]

My kids are too young for MTV or VH1 or for a lot of other programs that are inappropriate for their age. I can set my parental guidelines for blocking the unwanted channels, but why should I have to? Also, I am still paying for MTV even though I have no need for their service. I dropped my Dish Network service three years ago. I will not ever again pay for cable or satellite unless I can choose which programs I want to order.
When's the last time you went to the store to buy groceries and had to buy from the prepackaged grocery list? . .love the Doritos, but the head cheeze?. .

[Thomas J. Bartol]

I would like to be able to purchase a package consisting of :
1. Basic Cell Phone
2. Cable Modem for Computer
3. 10 TV Channels of my selection, including 3 local channels

all of these for about $50.00 -$70.00 per month. What communications company will comment on this proposition?

[Jack Bradley]

Did you see this site: http://www.phoneybaloney.net/ It's talking about you.

[Jim Conran]

Thanks for the comment, Jack. We've seen the site. It does point out that cable has given up debating the merits of reforming our franchise laws that will give consumers a better shake, and instead has focused all its energy on attacking the messengers carrying the pro-consumer, anti-monopoly message.

[Tom]

Re: PhoneyBaloney

All I know is, what kind of site has a constantly playing sound file without a "sound:off" button? That's just ig'nant.