FCC Prepares To Weigh In On Viewer Choice

The FCC takes a break from slapping down broadcast obscenity this week to weigh in on an increasingly important issue within the TV industry: whether consumers should have the right to select the cable channels they wish to pay for a la carte, or whether cable companies have the right to offer packages (as they do now) with dozens of channels grouped together. “The report won’t include any specific recommendations, but its tone — especially on whether a la carte could result in huge price hikes — could influence whether forces in Congress continue to pursue the issue.”