My cable company has added Newsmax channel

[gratuitous]

6. For all the palaver about increased customer service and lower costs

You'd think that Congress would make cable access a cafeteria-style utility. For flat $20 a month, you get the broadcast stations in your area. Everything above that is available for a monthly charge, ranging from (say) a dime to five bucks. If you don't want ESPN (for example), you don't have to have ESPN, and you don't pay for ESPN. You want a "premium" channel, you pay a premium monthly charge.

Instead, we have all these "packages" that include dozens of channels customers don't want, but that customers have no option to refuse. This isn't the way most businesses operate. You don't have "required" groceries that you have to pay for whether you want them or not at the store. If you don't want power seat warmers on your new car, you don't have to pay for them anyway. Why does cable have to be this way?