Suit Seeks 'A La Carte' TV Channel Choices

An anonymous reader writes "A breathtaking lawsuit was filed this week against every major player in the 'for-pay' television industry. Every major broadband and cable company in the US was named in the federal suit, which seeks the right to obtain content piecemeal rather than in the large (and expensive) packages that cable companies offer as the only option right now. This follows closely on the heels of encouraging comments from the FCC chair that he supports this kind of service. 'The complex web of contractual arrangements among service providers and networks amounts to a monopoly or cartel that has "deprived consumers of choice, caused them to pay inflated prices for cable television and forced them to pay for cable channels they do not want and do not watch," [antitrust lawyer Maxwell M. Blecher] wrote in the complaint filed on behalf of cable subscribers in several states. The complaint, which alleges a conspiracy to monopolize as well as violations of federal antitrust laws, names nine plaintiffs, but Blecher wants the U.S. District Court to certify it as a class action.'"

Comments

A La cart channels NO - A La cart programing SI!

[Anonymous Coward]

If this happens the providers will respond by separating popular shows on to their own channels. The top rated content will be padded with junk you don't want to watch. The only answer is to sell shows individually.

Re:Goodbye to Small Channels?

[TheRaven64]

I don't understand how these channels exist now, if that is the case. They must have enough people watching them to get enough advertising revenue to buy the shows they carry. With an a la carte system, there is nothing stopping channels like this from being offered for free to cable companies.

In fact, it's slightly perplexing how channels get away with charging cable companies to carry them; they make money through advertising, and the more viewers they have, the more money they can make this way, yet they also charge cable companies to increase their potential viewership.