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While consumers have long called for lower monthly bills, distributors and channel owners argue that without the bundles some smaller networks may disappear or less money may be spent on original content, according to Laura Martin, an analyst at Needham & Co. Channel owners — like Disney, whose Disney Junior channel airs in Canada, and Comcast, which offers CNBC and E! — distribute their channels in bundles to ensure they get enough viewers and advertising dollars to support production.

“In the U.S., the cable companies will look to see what comes out of it and maybe just as important is for the media companies to monitor and see how that effects them,” said David Heger, an analyst with Edward Jones in St. Louis. “The effect could be that some lesser channels get pushed off the air.”

Canada’s cable giants, including Rogers, Telus and BCE, are meeting with regulators in Ottawa next week for hearings on the future of TV to push back against the government’s effort to become one of the first countries to implement a la carte TV options. Companies have already taken a step in the direction of pick-and-pay TV — such as Telus’s option to choose among more than 100 individual channels once a basic subscription has been paid for.

The current model benefits the big three and other cable companies

“The current model benefits the big three and other cable companies, but if they implement new regulations I can see the big cable guys taking a hit for that,” Kevin Chu, an analyst with Accountability Research in Toronto, said in a phone interview. “It’s very profitable.”