TNGTony said:
The differecne is HBO owns HBO.
NBC does not own Turner channels but in NBC contracts for USA they tell the cable system that they must be on the same basic packages as the Turner channels.
And now we get to the crux of the argument.
The cable/satellite systems (MSO's) create a package of channels to market to their customers, and there is a negotiation between the programmers and the MSO's to determine the placement of each of their channels. MSO's can try to negotiate ESPN to its own tier. But ESPN has the ability to say they will not consider anything but the basic tier. And it still is a negotiation.
Once you get an MSO to state they will no longer sell their own tiers, will you get a cafeteria-style menu to pick your programming. Or, once you get an MSO and a programmer to agree to sell not only in tiers but in an a la carte or vertically-owned channel setting is a "choice" possible.
However, can you imaging what you are considering as packaging? All Turner channels, all NBC Universal channels, all FOX channels, all Viacom channels, all Scripps-Howard channels, all Discovery channels, all ESPN channels, etc.
Then the next complaint will be how someone only wants FX, but not Fox News, Fox Reality or FOX Business, but would like to replace them with CNN, MTV and CNBC.
That is why this is a very slippery slope.
And like I mentioned earlier, there is a class-action lawsuit against the top four MSO's and the top four programmers regarding this "packaging" and so-called "monopoly". The judge is about ready to dismiss it for lack of evidence. So unless someone wants the government to regulate the pay-TV business AGAIN , you better be sure that is exactly what you want.