McCain A La Carte Bill Expected Soon

MCCAIN A LA CARTE BILL EXPECTED SOON
[SOURCE: The Hill, AUTHOR: Alexander Bolton]
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) is planning to introduce legislation on cable television programming that is expected to put him at odds with several of the nation’s largest Christian television networks and could complicate his effort to woo social conservatives for the 2008 presidential election. Specifically, Sen McCain is expected to unveil a bill this week that would give cable companies regulatory incentives to offer their customers content on a channel-by-channel basis, which is known as “a la carte” programming because of its resemblance to restaurant menus that price entrees and side orders separately. But large Christian broadcasters are strongly opposed to the approach because they fear that many consumers will skip over their channels when custom-ordering a cable programming package. Religious programming, they concede privately, though good for you, is not always the most enticing fare -- at least for many consumers. The Christian broadcasters opposed to McCain’s approach, such as the Christian Broadcasting Network and “The Old-Time Gospel Hour,” are affiliated with powerful conservative leaders such as the Rev. Pat Robertson and the Rev. Jerry Falwell, respectively.
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