A Nielsen Media Research study reveals that an average cable subscriber pays for 85 channels, but only watches 16. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said that needs to change.
In a letter sent to minority groups Wednesday, Martin expressed his support for a la carte cable programming, which would allow families to only pay for the channels they want and not be forced to support channels that run counter to their values.
"By allowing consumers to vote with their wallets rather than forcing them to buy channels they never watch, the marketplace will respond by providing more diverse and higher-quality programming than consumers demand," Martin wrote.
Daniel Weiss, senior analyst for media and sexuality at Focus on the Family Action, agreed.
"This issue is about more than mere finances," he said. "Families that subscribe to cable for family-friendly content are also forced to subsidize indecent, foul and violent programming they would never otherwise bring into their homes. Chairman Martin is doing an excellent job raising awareness, which I hope translates into widespread public support for the idea."
