Bell Canada Will Give You A La Carte Cable Channels... But Only If There's Real Competition
from the otherwise,-you're-stuck dept
We've had plenty of debates on this site about a la carte TV channels. A few years back the FCC put out a report that explained, pretty clearly why mandating the ability of users to pick and choose what TV channels they wanted in their cable package would cost more -- even if the FCC later changed its mind under pressure from "family values" groups who wanted to be able to stop having to pay for "bad" channels to get the wholesome channels. Lots of people like the idea of a la carte channels, falsely believing that they're "paying for channels they don't want." Our position has always been that it's bad policy to mandate a la carte TV offerings, when it's happening naturally in the marketplace -- mainly due to pressure from competition.So it's interesting to see, up in Canada, that Bell Canada has apparently started offering a la carte pricing... but only in territories where it has real competition. Otherwise, you're stuck with bundles.
Once again, as with net neutrality and metered broadband, we're seeing a situation where the real issue is often a lack of competition in the marketplace, and the answer isn't necessarily to force a particular policy on providers, but to figure out ways to encourage more real competition, such that these other issues take care of themselves.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: a la carte, cable, canada, channels, competition
Companies: bell canada
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Me? I'd like ala carte pricing, thank you very much, even a government regulated mandate. Cable is a public utility. Making it more useful to the general public seems like a good idea to me.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Where's the Beef
But with the rabbit ears being retired, it is time we realized that the business has changed. Technology now makes it much easier for us to efficiently customize cable packages to suit the individual. also, we now have over 100+ channels force fed to us, even though the average household watches less than 20 of these channels.
There is a consumer movement to bring back competition and transparency into the industry. Hundreds of folks have already signed up in San Francisco. No reason why other cities should be stuck with the same old status quo.
Join the movement tvalacarte.org
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
The problem is the subsidies
People who want true a la carte are generally going to find that the really good channels are going to be very expensive if that is all they want. Of course, that is a legitimate thing, too. If you don't want to wade through 10 shopping channels between your good channels, then you should be able to have that option. Of course, you can probably program your TV to skip those channels, but if you don't even want to do that you can pay the luxury tax and just get what you want.
The thing that is funny in all of this is that the home shopping and other trash channels are only profitable because people actually watch them. It makes me wonder if people really want a la carte.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: The problem is the subsidies
Spam is only continues to occur because people actually click on it. Doesn't mean the vast, vast majority of people would prefer to do without it.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: The problem is the subsidies
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: The problem is the subsidies
What makes you think one is on the way?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
???
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
A La Carte
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
A La Carte
I'm quite happy to pay *choice 1800.00 a year for all the channels, because i don't want choice. I want everything.
I would like it cheaper, and likely it should be, but I don't see how A La Carte would help that at all.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: A La Carte
This is retarded. Why would the media make a big topic about their government granted monopolies and how corrupt they are?
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
ya know your an idiot to pay 1800
ZERO
you go ahead your smart (winks)
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Internet watching
Soon enough the technology will be available for everyone will be able to watch whatever they like on any device, and the current monstrosity which is cable TV is disappear into the history of media.
I actually witnessed cable this weekend at a friend's place. What abomination! Mostly crappy content, lousy interface, and endless, irrelevant commercials. And worst of all, you were required to watch at prescribed times. All very strange!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
I agree that creating more and more laws telling people how to run their business is not a good thing. It goes against the capitalist market place a lot of people claim the US has. If a law should be made it should be to open the space for three or four cable providers to operate in every region. It seems now, in every encounter with cable I've had, is that they section off their territories into little countries. There is no true competition so there is no reason to care about what customers want.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Tough tittie. Business model adapts to the market, not the other way around. You don't need to go to an Ivy League business school to know that much. You can't force a business to be profitable.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/files/2010/03/cable-sub-fees.png
[ link to this | view in chronology ]