SORRY, BUT THIS IS INCREDIBLY STUPID:
“You can always turn the television off and, of course, block the channels you don’t want,” Martin said, “but why should you have to?”
Um, so that other people can watch the shows they want to, maybe?
UPDATE: Reader John Vasut thinks I’m misreading this:
I think that Martin was talking about a la carte programming choice. Why should you be forced (if you wish to receive certain channels) to have to pay for channels whose content you find objectionable (much less go to the trouble of blocking if you don’t wish for your children to watch it). I personally refuse to subscribe to cable/satellite (except for the Basic/local channel and some Chinese channels for my in-laws) until they provide a la carte service.
Hmm. I didn’t read it that way, but if that’s what he meant it wasn’t stupid. I actually like the idea of a la carte cable pricing, though I’m not sure how the economics work out.