Per-Channel Pricing Sought In Purchase Of Adelphia

[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: Drew Clark]
Having deployed family-friendly television tiers after policymakers strongly encouraged them to do so, the cable companies Comcast and Time Warner may face another obstacle in their quest to acquire the bankrupt Adelphia Communications. As a condition on the merger proposals, the satellite provider EchoStar Communications wants the FCC to require Comcast and Time Warner to sell distributors their video content on a per-channel basis. If Time Warner and Comcast are required to unbundle such programming from existing contractual arrangements, the proposal calls for distributors to be required to offer the programs as a la carte programming to consumers. A la carte programming is something that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin repeatedly has sought from the cable industry, in addition to a family tier. Social conservatives and consumer groups support the bid.
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