So says Steve Yelvington on the support the FCC expressed yesterday for the unbundling of cable television: This is going to get a lot of knee-jerk support from people who think it's a good thing for consumers. But the truth is that it's a terribly bad idea, one that will narrow consumer choices and ultimately continue the concentration of television power in the hands of a small number of key companies. It's absolutely anticonsumer."

His wrap-up: "Maybe Martin sees this maneuver as a tool for shutting down those naughty shows that scandalize the right-wing base. Maybe it's a foolish attempt to save mass programming from the death by a thousand cuts as the audience follows its interests into niche programming. Ultimately it will fail, because we'll just turn off the cable and go onto the Internet."