John McCain Working On Legislation For 'a La Carte' TV Channel Packages

An anonymous reader writes "John McCain, Republican Senator for Arizona and former U.S. presidential candidate, is drafting a new bill that would pressure TV providers to allow customers to select and pay for only the channels they want to watch. The bill will also 'bar TV networks from bundling their broadcast stations with cable channels they own during negotiations with the cable companies, according to industry sources. So for example, the Disney Company, which owns both ABC and ESPN, could not force a cable provider to pay for ESPN in order to carry ABC.' Perhaps most importantly, the bill could 'end the sports blackout rule, which prohibits cable companies from carrying a sports event if the game is blacked out on local broadcast television stations.' This would hamstring the ludicrous practice of blacking out TV broadcasts in order to drive fans to buy actual tickets to a game. The cable and satellite TV industry is expected to push back very strongly against the bill."

Finally!!

[Anonymous Coward]

I can have my dream package of just home shopping networks, pay-per-view previews and c-span!

Re:Sounds good.

[Kenja]

Depends on how it's framed. If they write the bill so it's all about finding out who orders Telemundo so they can be deported I think it would get a lot of support.

Re: Sounds good.

[Gilmoure]

If McCain had run on a platform of A-La-Carte cable, posted hospital prices and cheap free range waygu beef he'd be president now.

Re:Sounds good.

[fustakrakich]

Ah, see? I can tell you're a republican. Hurricanes are a result of low barometric pressure...

Re:Sounds good.

[vux984]

Here at the Church of the FSM, we do posthumorous baptisms!

In Ragu sauce?