Canada’s broadcasting regulator says consumers can expect a “World of Choice” once “pick and pay” cable comes into effect in 2016.

Consumers who have long bemoaned bloated cable packages may well embrace the new model, whereby they purchase a basic package (capped at $25) and add-on only the specialty channels they actually intend to watch.

But some naysayers have suggested that unbundling TV channels could ultimately hurt the industry, and the consumer. Here are pros and cons of “pick and pay” cable.

Pros:

Cheaper cable: Under new rules penned by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, a basic cable package with limited channels will be capped at $25. Currently, the cheapest package at Rogers is about $40.

Only pay for what you want: One of the biggest gripes about cable packages has been that consumers get roped into having hundreds of channels they never use just to subscribe to one premium channel. Under the new model, consumers would be able to pay for just the channels they watch.

Easier to stay in touch: With the cheaper “skinny basic” package, more people will be able to afford to watch local Canadian media. Under the new guidelines, local, educational and regional programming will be given priority in the “skinny basic” package. U.S. TV stations can be included, but it’s not required.

Cons:

Channels may go bust: Some have warned that if television stations are unbundled, than smaller, niche stations may go bust. Without bigger-name channels to bolster their viewership, there may just not be enough of an audience.

The total price could rise: Although the “skinny basic” package is almost half current cable prices, the more “extras” you add, the higher your total bill will climb. Some experts say paying for premium channels “a la carte” could end up costing more than the original bundled package.

Too little, too late: Critics, including the C.D. Howe Institute, have said that pick-and-pay channel choices are an exercise in futility, since by the time they are implemented, even more viewers will have unplugged their cable boxes and gone online.

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