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Congress To Force Cable a la Carte Plans

Posted by Hemos on from the please-do-so dept.

unassimilatible writes "Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain seems to be leaning towards sponsoring legislation mandating something I have wanted for a long time: Forcing cable companies to offer "a la carte" programming packages. No U.S. cable or satellite currently offers such a plan. However, as the Washington Post reports, "That may change, if some lawmakers and consumer groups get their way, as the cable industry finds itself under increasing scrutiny. Lawmakers report that their constituents are angry about cable bills that have risen at three times the rate of inflation since the industry was largely deregulated in 1996." McCain money quote: "I go down to buy a loaf of bread. I don't have to buy broccoli and milk to go with it." Bottom line is, cable companies have a government-authorized monopoly, so maybe they need to recieve government-mandated "innovation." Why should I pay for 15 non-English channels?"

5 of 864 comments (clear)

  1. McCain... by fm6 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    ... is a right-wing, right-to-life militarist. But if he runs for President again I might have to vote for him!

  2. Part of Bush Initiative? by blogboy · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    CNN: "Bush wants cheap high-speed Internet access for all by 2007"

    http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/internet/03/26/bush.b roadband.dc.reut/index.html

    Wish I had a bottomless checkbook...

  3. Re: Evil Government Intrusion by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    But in
    Soviet NY Your Cable company chooses YOU!!

  4. Re:You might want to watch the buzzwords by MotherInferior · · Score: -1, Offtopic
    I agree with your point. But people who whine about being "borked" by "leftists" should keep in mind that when you lay down with dogs you get up with fleas. If you speak nothing but French, listeners will assume you are French, or at least from some French-speaking culture. That's how the world works, regardless of whether that's good or bad. If you rave about "completed Jews" and "family values" or "American heritage" or "western values" you will be assumed to be a neo-Nazi, or at least sympathetic to racist demagogues. The majority of people who rant about "leftists" and "borking" are rabid ideologues incapable of independent thought. That's who you are self-identifying with in your post. If that's what you want, great. If not, consider choosing your language more carefully.

    I can't believe I'm reading this.

    So, if I wear gang colors, I should expect to be thought of as a gang member by the police? If I use the word leftist, I'm a neo-nazi? Is this how far it's come?

    Then I give up. Every single post I made on this thread has gone up and down (some twice) from +2 to -1. Most of them through the use of the Overrated Mod. Two of them have had a (-1, Insightful). My God, who are you people? (-1, Insightful)?! Are you that rabid, that you cannot take opposing viewpoints? That you cannot respond without passive-aggression?

    Give me a roudy rhetorical frag-fest any day to this group-think newspeak bullshit...

    I mean, damn.

  5. HAHAHA by Maskirovka · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    I don't watch TV you insensative clod!

    -Maskirovka