The FCC just released a report that says
Americans would save up to 13% on their cable bills if the cable companies would just let us buy channels individually.
That can't be making the cable companies happy, which insist on not only pushing channel packages on us, but also on
raising their rates as much as 6% each year.Channels I'd dump if I could buy cable a la carte:
QVC
Home Shopping Network
Shopping
GOLF
Fox Sports
Court TV
Jewelry TV
TV Guide (no need for it when you have TiVo)
I'd keep ESPN and ESPN 2 around for the behind-the-scenes broadcasts of SportsCenter. That's awesome television.












Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-10-2006 @ 10:43AM
Akbar Fazil said...
There are too many to list of what I would want to get rid of. Here is what I would keep.
The big 4 networks
SciFi
USA
TNT
TBS
FoodTV
History
Discovery
A&E
Bravo (but only for Project Runway)
TCM
Cartoon
HGTV (but only to keep the wife happy)
That is all I ever watch on TV.
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 11:16AM
Samuel McConnell said...
I dropped Cable and went with OTA Digital. Here's what I would get if I could get cable a la carte:
The Big 4
Spike TV (just for the daily Star Trek fix)
Food Network
Comedy Central
Cartoon Network
SciFi Channel
The Discovery Channel
Discovery Health
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 11:30AM
Mike said...
ESPN
ESPNNEWS
ESPN2
USA
ABC Fam
Cartoon Network
Comedy Central
TBS
TNT
History
Discovery
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 11:55AM
Armando said...
Like the others, there are only a bunch I'd keep
The Big 4 Networks
The WB
ESPN
ESPN2
FOX Sports
FOX Soccer Channel
USA
Sci Fi
FX
Spike
Comedy Central
Cartoon Network
Boomerang
Discovery Channel
History Channel
FoodTV
HBO lineup
That would be a nice cable bill.
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 12:12PM
Big Dave said...
hmmm, what to keep . . .
FX - Home to 3 of the best shows on TV: The Shield, Nip/Tuck and Rescue Me.
SciFi-Battlestar
ESPN Networks-ESPN,The Deuce,Classic,News
Discovery-Chopper,Top Gear et.
TLC-Overhaulin'
The Networks-Fox,ABC,NBC,CBS,WB & UPN (CW)
NFL Network-The NFL, nuff said
Speed TV-RRRRRRRRacing
PBS-must have mysteries
HBO-CYE,Entourage,DeadWood,Sopranos,Rome etc.
The other movies channels on case by case basis
USA - 4400,Monk etc.
Comedy Central-HaHaHaHaHaHaHa,must laugh
All in HiDef of course, lol
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 1:45PM
Shawn said...
I just don't see how people will end up saving money by going a la carte, especially since ESPN already increases in their cost year after year. I pay $35/month for 53 channels whereas with a la carte, I'd be spending $20 or so for 10 channels maybe. Who is going to say what networks can charge and will we have the choices if number of subs goes down. Discovery and even ESPN have been able to try different niches since their main ones are carried by just about everyone.
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 2:57PM
doc said...
Silly me. I thought this was going to be a how-to on bit torrent. :D
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 4:48PM
Jaymez said...
I'd keep the news networks, the discovery networks, and the history networks. Everything else would be dropped and never missed, including Fox.
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 5:25PM
Will said...
PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN:
Big 4 HD
CW/WB HD
ESPN HD
DISCOVERY HD
HBO HD
Weather Channel
Comedy Central
Only if cheaper and in HD:
MTV
FX
CNN/MSNBC
FOOD
FOX SPORTS
VH1
HDNET/HDNET Movies
INHD1&2
Reply
2-10-2006 @ 6:33PM
Brent McKee said...
In Canada we've had what i like to call "limited a la carte" for quite some time. Digital Cable channels have been available on an a la carte basis for quite some time as well as being part of packages or tiers of stations. The individual stations tend to go for between $1.99 to $2.99 a month while the packages are much less per channel. The problem with packages is that you get stations you don't really wont in order to get ones you do in order to reduce costs. If you can get three out of five stations you want in a package of eight for a lower price than you'd pay to get the other two individually, wouldn't you do it that way? My cable company doesn't offer packages of specific stations in digital but they do offer groups of any five (or ten) stations for a discount price - which may explain why they are my cable company.
Reply