and I would love to be able to buy my channels in some sort of ala carte fashion. there would be NO espn or golf channels. or shoping channels for that matter. I assume that even with an a la carte type menu - there would be some sort of package - to lure people into other channels

I'd hope so. Even though I get a lot of channels I don't ever watch, there are others that I've stumbled upon and grown to really value, or that I don't watch regularly but once in a while have something that's a must-see. Channels like Animal Planet would probably be very badly served, frankly, by strictly a la carte cable line-ups.

Imagine if TiVo could recommend shows to you that you don't actually get. But could get.

Channels like Animal Planet would probably be very badly served, frankly, by strictly a la carte cable line-ups

Maybe, but I know more than one person who subscribes to digital cable solely to watch Animal Planet.

Yep, Anne did, which gives me hope that I could someday move out of NYC without throwing away all my stuff. I am terrified by the stories I've heard of long-distance movers. Every time I've moved far in the past, I've done it myself, but never again.

Someone please remind me of this if when I finally start my 3000 mile move to the other coast. Ack.

I loved early Cosby. I also totally agree with Hec re: Elmo.

Cable Channels I'd definitely pony up for ala carte:

Independent Film Channel
Food TV
Comedy Central
Turner Classic Movies
Cartoon Network
BBC America (though I keep forgetting it's there)

Channels that have gone downhill, but still program stuff I tune into occasionally:

AMC
Bravo
A&E
SciFi

Channels I don't watch that have stuff I should check out:

FX
Discovery
Animal Planet

I subscribe to digital cable to watch the history international, national geographic, science, and discovery times channel. The other ~70? I don't want, although I would probably subscribe to Noggin ala carte too, for the kids. In fact, I don't want most of the channels I get either on my regular cable package, or the expanded digital tier. I want PBS, ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, UPN, WB, CNN, History, Travel, and I think that's it. In reality, I have channels between 2 and 88, and between 100 and 152, (there are probably some blank spots in there) when at most I watch 14--15, if we count NESN, which we only really watch during baseball season.

What they could really do is mini-packages by subject -- all the classic movie channels, all the makeover channels, all the sports channels, etc.

I would love to get BBC America. But, I'd have to buy $30 extra dollars worth of digital cable (and reconfigure the TiVo, aiiieee!).

The trouble with cable a la carte is that the cable companies would hate it, don't you think? There was a flap a couple of years ago (about which DX can tell you more than I) where NESN basically bullied its way onto basic cable, where before it had been premium, because NESN did better with an expanded viewer base, and as part of the basic package, everybody who wanted CNN had to help pay for it.

Narrowcasting would have to work a lot harder to be profitable, I should think; and the average click-happy idiot like yours truly would be vastly impeded from clicking properly.

Stands in the corner

I love Elmo and his puppeter, Kevin Clash is pretty cute.