Cable ala carte
As of October, cable companies are required by law to offer premium channels ala carte. Excellent!
…a federal rule took effect in early October, 2002, that could let savvy cable customers cut their monthly bills in half. And if enough penny-pinching viewers act, cable operators could see margins slashed and their quest to deliver greater free cash flow prolonged. The rule, a provision of the 1992 Cable Act, says cable operators can no longer require subscribers to buy multitier packages of programming to get pay-per-view events and premium channels, such as as HBO, Starz, and Showtime.[John Robb’s Radio Weblog]