Jmartz
join:2000-07-20
Tenafly, NJ
edit:
September 21st, @12:48PM
| reply to lew_jean
Re: Let me pay for what I want
Just think about it:
Everyone SHARES the cost of channels, even channels they don't watch.
A La Carte... 1/4 the number of people share the same cost (prices wont come down)... so that means the cost for the channel will increase to maintain the same revnue... so you're going to be paying the same, if not more, for LESS.
And, a lot of channels will go out of business if people don't subscribe. So you will have less to chose from, at a higher price.
It doesn't make sense to do a la carte. I prefer the packages, if Cable wants to do that, then give people a choice... people who want A La Carte can have it... but I want to keep my programming bundles. |
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swhx7
Premium
join:2006-07-23
Elbonia
 ·RoadRunner Cable
| The only way ala carte would help subscribers is if all the channels were priced the same. The same as each other, that is, regardless of popularity. That way, the cablecos would make less profit as a percentage on more popular channels (because their payments to content providers are higher) and more on less popular channels. So, on ESPN and HBO they would make pennies or take a loss; on golf channel they would make more. But with larger volume on the popular channels it might almost even out.
This would be good for subscribers because it would provide an incentive for the cableco to keep the smaller channels available; and they would have to keep the bigger channels to keep customers.
If they have to offer ala carte but prices are not required to be the same for every channel, they will charge according to demand, and drop less-watched channels, and cable will descend to the lowest common denominator - just sports, big Hollywood movies and those so-called "reality" shows. |
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Ahrenl
join:2004-10-26
North Andover, MA
edit:
September 21st, @02:05PM
| Or what they pay to content provider's could be tied to the number of subscribers selecting a channel. {shock} Then the providers could set the rates to what the market would actually bear, and comcast would rake some off the top for maintaining the infrastructure.. Sounds a little too free market though.. :P |
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bamabrad
join:2006-01-27
Port Orange, FL | reply to Jmartz
This type of business model is going the way of the dinosaurs-wait and see! |
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