I know a lot of conservatives and family Christian groups are pressuring the FCC to require that cable companies offer some sort of "a la carte" feature to consumers. I for one would like such a feature and my local cable company would probably get more money out of me if they did, but do I want the federal government to dictate to my cable provider what services to provide? No I do not.
The argument supporting the a la carte movement implies that we have a right to cable service, when, in fact, we don't. If you don't like what the cable company offers, don't buy it. No one is forced to buy cable service and I think it would be very difficult to make the argument that someone desperately needs the service.
Besides, how can a true conservative advocate that the government mandate what services a company should offer?
A la carte will probably happen in the future as cable companies face increased competition from the Internet, satellite and cell services and a fragmenting audience and when it does I will welcome it. Until then - turn off your TV. That will get their attention.
