Don't hold your breath for a la carte cable

Is the cable industry starting to change its mind about the idea of letting consumers decide what channels they want?

A recent story from Reuters says cable operators are working on a such a plan and that it "represents a complete reversal from cable operators' long-held opposition to what is known as 'a la carte' programming." Don't get your hopes up. While there are a handful of small cable operators, including Mediacom, that have expressed interest in pursuing a different distribution system, the big boys -- including Time Warner Cable and Comcast -- are unlikely to advocate for an a la carte system. That's because both are in the programming business and want their channels in the homes of all their subscribers, not just the ones who want them. When Time Warner Cable launches its regional sports channel in Los Angeles next year, consumers will have to pay for both the English and Spanish language versions even if they only want one or -- gasp -- neither. It is a practice called bundling and all the big programmers engage in it.