FCC Seriously Exploring 'A La Carte' > Really bad.

reply to sharksfan3

Re: Really bad.

So you expect that everyone else should subsidize your more -ahem- eclectic tastes? I hope you send money for your NPR habit to supplement the taxes we send to CPB to subsidize Big Bird ($400M for 2008, up 33% in 8 years).

I have no problem with packages of channels rather than true ala carte, but the deal now (at least on DirectTV) is a $30 package aimed squarely at the Bible Thumpers, and then $50 for a 140+ channels, 30-40% of which are XM radio. I know that they can manage different packages, because I have an older package that is no longer offered. (I have no idea what the differences are, but they seem to manage it OK.)

So why not a Pick30 with local channels for $30 package? Make ESPN cost an extra $5 if that's what Disney wants for it - an awful lot of folks would pay it. And maybe they can find someone who wants XM Suite 62 and Galavision - whatever they are.

Or maybe not. Nobody said being an artist would be easy...

reply to DMS1
I am sure that there might be a channel or two that I might watch that would go away due to a lack of interest by the market (viewers) so be it. Why should the rest of us subsidize your feel good channel? I've been saying for a long time that a large majority of the channels on the satellite (DirecTV) have a fairly small audience if any at all and should either be switched to programming that a majority of people would enjoy or removed entirely. A quick poll at work provided some interesting data, over 90% (around 25 people) indicated that they only watch a hand full of channels on their cable or satellite systems. Most (80%) also replied that they favor the a-la-carte business model. Let the free market place determine what are viable channels and what channels are financial losers.

reply to DMS1