Recently, Maine passed a law requiring that cable operators offer an à la carte TV option. The new law says that “a cable system operator shall offer subscribers the option of purchasing access to cable channels, or programs on cable channels, individually.” This would bring à la carte TV, which many have hoped for, to the state of Maine.
Now Comcast is asking a federal judge to block this new law from taking effect. The law is already in place but with multiple lawsuits trying to block it, Maine has said they will hold off on enforcement until the lawsuits are resolved. This seems to not be enough for Comcast as they now want a federal judge to get involved and ensure that the law will be blocked.
The fear of cable companies is understandable. Many have predicted that a lot of cable TV channels would not survive à la carte TV as they count on people paying for the channel who don’t watch the channel. The possibility of many profitable channels shutting down because most cable TV subscribers don’t watch them has prevented any hope of à la carte TV in the past.
This will be a major landmark case for both cord cutting and cable TV. Already many cable TV companies and content owners have sued to try to block the law. If Comcast, Fox, CBS, Disney, and over 200 cable companies win, it will set back hopes for à la carte TV. If Maine wins, it could open the floodgates for other states to require a true à la carte TV option.
The law went into effect on September 19, 2019. For now though, it is not being enforced. Those behind this lawsuit hope to block that from happening. Cord Cutters News will be keeping a close eye on this case and will post updates as we learn more.
Source: Central Maine News
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