[tag]John McCain[/tag] is obviously anxious to make the GOP’s far right base happy for 2008 purposes, but he’s apparently willing to take on some high-profile TV preachers when it comes to legislation on [tag]cable[/tag] television programming.
[tag]McCain[/tag] is expected to unveil a bill this week that would give cable companies regulatory incentives to offer their customers content on a channel-by-channel basis, which is known as “[tag]a la carte[/tag]” programming because of its resemblance to restaurant menus that price entrees and side orders separately.
But large [tag]Christian[/tag] broadcasters are strongly opposed to the approach because they fear that many consumers will skip over their channels when custom-ordering a cable programming package. [tag]Religious[/tag] programming, they concede privately, though good for you, is not always the most enticing fare — at least for many consumers.
As I explained in March, clowns like Pat [tag]Robertson[/tag] and Jerry [tag]Falwell[/tag] are in a genuine panic over this. The FCC says that the average household watches only 17 channels — and apparently, evangelical right-wingers aren’t pulling in the viewers. To help lobby against the per-channel pricing, Robertson’s CBN, Falwell, Benny Hinn Ministries, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice, and FamilyNet TV — a motley crew, to be sure — have teamed up to save the costly and impractical cable system that helps keep them on the air.
The interesting thing, aside from the possible ramifications on the presidential campaign, is how far-right groups that don’t have any stake in cable broadcasting are fighting their allies who do.
One group that strongly supports McCain’s approach is the [tag]Parents Television Council[/tag].
Dan Isett, the director of corporate and government affairs at the group, said there is little evidence that a la carte would hurt Christian broadcasters and that a “wide swath” of family and consumer groups support McCain.
And on the other (right) hand, Colby May, the director of the Washington office of Robertson’s ACLJ, noted that religious broadcasters believe McCain’s measure “will cause a significant dent in their ability to fill the great commission: to go into all the world and share the news that Jesus is Lord.”
McCain is moving ahead with his proposal and will offer it as an amendment to telecommunications legislation that Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) plans to markup in June. Stay tuned. (no pun intended)