Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!samsung!uunet!hayes!tnixon From: tnixon@hayes.uucp Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: Re: Cable Censorship Message-ID: <4043.2869f025@hayes.uucp> Date: 27 Jun 91 14:03:17 GMT References: <2153@tamsun.TAMU.EDU> <1991Jun26.235525.2474@athena.cs.uga.edu> Organization: Hayes Microcomputer Products, Norcross, GA Lines: 31 In article , bagchi@eecs.umich.edu (Ranjan Bagchi) writes: > If they think that MTV costs too > much to carry, why not make some form of a premium? Cable is all > about freedom of viewing choice. That is, in fact, what is happening. Some folks apparently don't have the whole story. What I've read is that the company is simply moving MTV from "basic cable" to being a part of a premium package that costs a little bit more a month (not $10/month per channel like HBO, but a little bit more for a package of channels). Based on speculation, I suppose, but I think this is more a matter of this cable company not wanting to eat an MTV per-subscriber rate increase, so they're moving it to a premium service so that the subscribers who actually want it pay for it, and those that don't will not have to pay higher basic cable rates to subsidize those who do. Personally, I think it's fine. A good business decision. I never watch MTV; if my cable system said "we're having to raise everybody's rates because MTV is raising their rate to us", that's when _I'd_ get mad. All of this nonsense about "censoring" MTV because of near-nudity and eroticism in the videos is just that -- nonsense. The kids will still be able to watch it, because most of those homes probably already take the premium package anyway. -- Toby tnixon%hayes@uunet.uu.net