PTC Welcomes Comcast's Offer for More Choice

The Parents Television Council called Comcast’s move to offer more choice to consumers “welcome news.” Comcast is offering subscribers a package for $39.99 that includes access to local channels, HBO, and the Internet.

“It’s welcome news for any cable company to offer some measure of choice to consumers when most cable companies say they can’t give consumers more choice, ” said PTC President Tim Winter. “We hope that this is a sign of things to come. Ultimately, our hope is that cable companies will offer consumers the ability to choose and pay for only the cable networks they want. After all, HBO was already offered individually if a subscriber bought a cable package, so since unbundling HBO from dozens of other cable networks makes sense it makes sense for every other cable network too. There is no good reason why a real cable choice solution cannot happen. Technology makes it possible. There are bi-partisan-sponsored bills in Congress that can give cable choice to consumers. And a recent survey of cable consumers even found that a majority (73%) want more choice over what they pay for on their cable bills. We hope the industry continues to make strides in offering choice to consumers, who are currently forced to buy bundles of cable networks they don’t want or don’t watch in order to get access to those networks they do want.”