Don't Touch that Dial

[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: Editorial Staff]
[Commentary] If you are like most people, you could probably do without some channels offered by your cable TV provider. Some, with racy or violent content, may be offensive. Others, such as those that feature people playing poker or hawking costume jewelry, may simply be uninteresting. You would probably jump at the chance to pick and choose. That day might be coming. Cable television, to be sure, is not the most competitive industry. But, in most places, it is no longer a monopoly. Viewers can opt for satellite television, pay per view, on-demand movies, video downloads and, increasingly, competition from what have traditionally been telephone companies. This increasing competition, and not regulation, will benefit consumers. Certainly, cable companies should make it easier for customers to block any channels they find offensive. But telling any industry what it must sell and how it should package its products is an action government should take only in rare instances where competition is minimal or nonexistent. Ultimately, if there's sufficient demand for individual channel selection, the marketplace will find a way to supply it. In the meantime, the heavy hand of government intervention in an industry in the midst of technological change might be worse, even, than watching people sell cubic zirconium jewelry.
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/20051201/edit01.art.htm