3 On Your Side: McCain Proposes A La Carte Cable Bill
by Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Cable television subscribers could someday get rid of the channels they don't want to watch, without losing the ones they do in the process. Sound good to you? 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan joins us with the details.
Arizona Senator John McCain has introduced new legislation that he says would give consumers more control over their cable service. McCain is criticizing the way providers package and sell programming, calling it "an injustice being inflicted on the American people."
The Television Consumer Freedom Act of 2013 would give consumers flexibility. They wouldn't have to pay for channels they don't want, just because they're part of a larger "bundle" of stations. McCain says, "Allow the consumer, the television viewer who subscribes to cable, to have a la carte capability. in other words, not required to buy a whole bunch of channels that that consumer may or may not wish to subscribe to."
While McCain's proposed legislation would not require cable or satellite providers to participate. He says he plans to offer some financial incentives he hopes will convince providers to support the measure.
Also, in what may be the most popular component, especially for sports fans, McCain wants to eliminate the sports blackout rule for events held in stadiums funded in part by taxpayer dollars.
Here is a link to the legislation.
