FFC To Back Pick Your Own Cable Channels

[jeffrey]

According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will endorse that allowing customers to choose and subscribe to individual cable channels instead of packaged bundles of cable channels is in the best interest of the customer. This will be a revision of the FFC conclusion last year that bundled cable channels were a better value for consumers.

The WSJ reported an FCC official as saying the report will conclude that having the choice to purchase individual channels could be cheaper for consumers compared to the current system of channels being bundled together. The same official noted that the FFC found that themed tiers of channels could be economically feasible.




Consumer advocates have long argued that a pay per channel system would be to the benefit of consumers by keeping prices in check. A pick your own channel system would also make programmers and cable providers more accountable to viewers they argued.

While the FCC concluded in its report last year that a combination of increased costs for marketing and equipment would increase the monthly cost for cable and satellite service by 14% to 30% if customers could choose individual channels, the new report will show that these conclusions were flawed.

[sweeps]

I've been waiting for this for a long time. I only watch 15 or so of the 70 cable channels I get. It's always bothered me that I'm paying for a lot of junk I don't need.

The cable companies will find a way to charge more though, so it's probably a wash.