Cable a la carte will give consumers less for more

[SOURCE: Buffalo News, AUTHOR: Trenton Mayor Douglas H. Palmer]
[Commentary] If proponents of a per-channel or a la carte model succeed, consumers will be left with little more than a barren menu of choices at higher prices. A per-channel charge regime would be poisonous for smaller cable networks, which depend on getting on the expanded cable tier for their very survival. Once on that platform, they are stumbled on by tens of millions of channel surfers. That kind of "free advertising" is one of the biggest advantages for new programming - worth millions of dollars to an upstart network -- that would evaporate were per-channel charge regulations in effect. In addition, because of the potential audience, new programmers can charge a premium for advertising. Under the per-channel proposal, ad revenue for new programmers would drop precipitously. Thus, were we to adopt per-channel charge regulations, not only would prices for most consumers rise, but scores of new programmers would wilt on the vine. Consumers, and the cause of media diversity, benefit from the shared cable platform. Policymakers in Washington and New York should use caution; a government-mandated elimination of that model would siphon the lifeblood out of new network development and more money out of consumers' pockets.
http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060131/1064996.asp