*Pages 1--2 from  Microsoft Word - 58136.doc*
 Make  Cable  Go  A  La  Carte  By  John  McCain  and  Kevin  Martin 
 As  Published  in  the  Los  Angeles  Times  on  May  25,  2006 
 American  consumers  have  little  choice  when  it  comes  to  cable  television.  If  you  want  ESPN,  you  must  pay  for  60-  plus  channels  that  you  may  never  watch.  If  your  child  loves 
 Nickelodeon,  your  family  must  pay  for  the  same  60-  plus  channels,  some  of  which  may  not  be  suitable  for  young  children.  Now,  imagine  deciding  for  yourself  which  TV 
 channels  you  want  to  purchase.  You  could  select  the  channels  you  want  to  pay  for,  and  opt  out  of  those  you  don't.  In  fact,  right  now  millions  of  TV  viewers  outside  the  U.  S.  have 
 these  choices.  They  buy  their  television  channels  individually  or  in  smaller  bundles    and  get  better  deals  as  a  result. 

 Why  can't  Americans  do  this  now?  Because  there  is  too  little  competition,  too  much  regulation  and  not  enough  consumer  choice  in  the  cable  TV  business.  As  a  result,  in  just 
 the  last  two  years  alone  cable  prices  have  increased  at  twice  the  rate  of  inflation    and  more  than  90%  since  1995.  Cable  companies  explain  away  their  skyrocketing  prices  by 
 saying  they  are  giving  you  more  and  more  channels.  At  no  time,  however,  have  the  cable  companies  actually  asked  if  you  want  those  additional  channels.  You  have  to  pay  for 
 them  whether  you  want  them  or  not. 
 The  solution  to  high  cable  bills  isn't  price  controls  or  additional  government  regulation.  It  is  more  competition  and  more  choice.  For  that  reason,  Congress  should  pass  the  proposed 
 Consumers  Having  Options  in  Cable  Entertainment  Act    the  CHOICE  Act    which  is  being  introduced  today.  It  would  allow  cable  companies  to  compete  nationally  for  your 
 business  (rather  than  only  at  the  local  level)  in  exchange  for  agreeing  to  offer  channels  a  la  carte,  either  individually  or  in  smaller  bundles. 

 The  Government  Accountability  Office  has  found  that  cable  rates  are  15%  lower  when  a  community  has  at  least  two  companies  competing  for  consumers.  The  Federal 
 Communications  Commission  found  that  consumers  could  lower  their  monthly  cable  bill  by  as  much  as  13%  if  they  had  a  la  carte  programming  options. 

 And  parents  would  never  be  forced  to  purchase  a  slew  of  channels,  some  not  suitable  for  young  children,  simply  to  receive  those  channels  that  their  family  enjoys  watching 
 together. 
 Real-  world  examples  illustrate  the  benefits  of  greater  choice  and  more  competition  coming  through  our  TV  sets.  In  Hong  Kong,  viewers  can  select  and  pay  for  only  the 
 channels  they  want.  A  family  that  wants  to  watch  sports,  movies,  news  and  children's  programming  can  receive  15  free  channels  plus  a  selection  of  11  additional  digital 
 channels  (including  ESPN,  HBO,  CNN  Headline  News,  National  Geographic  Channel,  Animal  Planet  and  Discovery  Channel)  for  only  $27.50  a  month.  To  get  a  package  that 
 includes  those  channels  in  Washington,  the  cost  is  $82  per  month    almost  $1,000  a  year.  That's  quite  a  difference. 
1
 Similarly,  in  Canada,  digital  subscribers  can  buy  channels  individually  or  enjoy  significant  savings  on  a  "5  pack,"  a  "10  pack"  or  a  "15  pack"  of  their  own  choosing. 
 Interestingly,  the  same  companies  that  oppose  selling  channels  individually  or  in  smaller  packages  in  the  U.  S.  offer  their  programming  a  la  carte  in  other  countries.  Their  threats  of 
 financial  ruin  and  a  loss  of  diverse  programming  have  proved  hollow.  American  consumers  want  these  companies  to  offer  such  choices.  According  to  a  recent  AP-  Ipsos 
 poll,  78%  of  respondents  said  they  would  prefer  to  choose  and  pay  for  their  own  tailored  selection  of  channels. 

 Today,  cable  choice  and  competition  have  been  successful  around  the  world.  Consumers  in  Hong  Kong,  Britain,  India  and  Canada  are  reaping  the  rewards  of  greater  choice  from 
 channels  being  offered  on  an  a  la  carte  basis.  So  why  not  increase  competition  in  the  U.  S.  and  at  the  same  time  make  sure  that  companies  offer  us  true  choice  in  cable 
 programming? 
2