The proposed merger between satellite services XM and Sirius picked up a fan when it announced its plan to offer a la carte channel menus to subscribers, if and when they become a merged entity. Parents Television Council's Tim Winter said it was the best parental control option they've ever seen: "…it will be a groundbreaking moment for the future of subscription-based entertainment…We call upon the cable and satellite television industries to follow the lead of XM and Sirius and give real choices to their own customers who are deeply offended by many of the channels families are forced to buy just to get access to quality family programming available on cable."
SmartMedia observation: If the cable and satellite industries are not already opposing this merger on antitrust grounds, this argument by PTC ought to put them firmly in the opposed-to-the-merger camp. The a la carte model will bad for the providers, and it will be potentially devastating to niche program services, including many religious channels which have opposed a la carte. We're sure the two MVPD industries are not going to want to hear about DARS a la carte every time PTC gears up its press release machinery.
