Judge Sides With Programmers -- For Now -- In A La Carte Case

JUDGE SIDES WITH PROGRAMMERS -- FOR NOW -- IN A LA CARTE CASE
[SOURCE: Multichannel News, AUTHOR: Linda Haugsted]
A consumer lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles challenging the lack of availability of a la carte pay TV programming, is still alive but only if the plaintiffs' attorneys can convince a federal court judge that the actions of major media companies offering programming only in packages violates anti-trust laws. U.S. District Court Judge Christina A. Snyder ruled on behalf of cable, satellite and programming providers on their motion to dismiss a potential class action suit, but gave opponents 11 days to amend their lawsuit against the providers. Vertically integrated programming providers compel cable and satellite distributors to buy all of a seller's channels, then those distributors turn around and sell the bundles to consumers. Cable operators and programmers’ chief defense is that competition among programmers for distribution, as well as competition among distributors for paying subscribers, ensures that no one is required by law to sell channels a la carte just because they have the means to do so.
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6539973.html?nid=4262