Cable

If the cable companies can keep track of what packages I'm paying for with their service, why can't they keep track of the individual channels to offer me a choice of the range of channels I want to subscribe and pay for and not for packages of which I only watch 2 or 3 channels?

The reason is simple, it's the computer system necessary to track individual subscribers by channel than package. It's the difference why Southwest Airlines doesn't allow passengers to reserve seats while the other airline companies provide the service as part of the price.

It's not the price of doing business, it's the price of the computer system to make it work. It's why some of the largest commercial computer systems are the airline companies keep tracking of all the flights, seats, passengers, etc. where Southwest has only a fraction of those system by not tracking passenger seating more than just total numbers.

The cable companies could easily switch to an ala-carte system of service by upgrading their computer system to accommodate it. It's not rocket science, just replace the packages with channels and then give subscribers choices of the package or the channels.

So when we will see this implemented as they have been encouraged to do for a few years now? We won't if they keep lobbying Congress not to force the FCC to replace "encourage" to "will" in the regulations. The choice is users can drop packages and even the cable service.

As they say, you can vote with two things, your feet and your wallet, to which we can add your fingers of which remote control you use, the cable's or your computer.