Blumenthal adds name to TV bill

If approved, legislation would allow customers to buy individual channels

Sen. Richard Blumenthal will co-sponsor legislation to allow cable TV subscribers to purchase channels.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., said Tuesday he will co-sponsor legislation that, if approved, will allow cable television subscribers to purchase individual channels from their providers.

Officials in Blumenthal’s office said he is the first Democratic co-sponsor of the socalled Television Consumer Freedom Act, which was introduced in May by Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.

“Consumers should not have to pay for programming they don’t want or watch,” Blumenthal said in a statement. “The current antiquated, antidemocratic system imposes all-or-nothing cable packages that give consumers no control over their cable bill, and prevent subscribers from voting with their feet when they are unhappy.”

McCain said special interests “have stacked the regulatory deck in favor of preserving an outdated business model that forces consumers to buy — at everincreasing prices — ‘ bundled’ cable packages.

“Our legislation would give consumers the freedom to buy either individual channels or the entertainment industry’s ‘ bundled’ packages, letting the market decide, not the government,” McCain said in a statement.

“I’m very proud to have Senator Blumenthal’s support for this common-sense legislation — it’s another sign that the overwhelming support for this effort among consumers is begin- ning to be reflected in Congress,” McCain said.

Brian Dietz, a spokesman for the National Cable & Telecommunications Association, declined comment Tuesday on the proposed legislation.

But when McCain first announced plans for the bill in May, Dietz said, “a government-mandated a la carte system is a lose-lose proposition.

“As countless studies have demonstrated, subscription bundles offer a wider array of viewing options, increased programming diversity and better value than per channel options,” Dietz said at the time.

“In the face of such innovation and expansion, attempting to force retail models on private providers is unnecessary and counterproductive.”

Rich Hanley, associate professor of journalism at Quinnipiac University and director of the school’s graduate journalism program, said requiring cable and satellite television providers to offer a la carte channels could have the unintended affect of driving up monthly bills and reducing choice.

“People get cable for ESPN and other popular networks that cost a lot per subscriber,” Hanley said. “But that cost subsidizes other less popular channels and if you go to a la carte, a lot of those channels are going to go away and you’re going to end up creating monopolies.

“Studies have suggested that if you go to a la carte you could see the price of ESPN alone going up to $30 per month,” Hanley said.