• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, April 16, 2008

For some time now, mobile executives have had stars in their eyes when they imagine the amount of money to be made with mobile video.

Let's say advertising isn't part of the equation - or at least a small part of it. Maybe they believe consumers might pay $200 a month for their cell phone service.

In a separate news story, the major TV content providers say the cost of programming for consumers could increase dramatically should the FCC gets its way and force cable operators to offer a la carte programming.

In an unusual joint statement, senior executives from ESPN; MTV Networks; Universal Television Group; Disney Media Networks, Disney-ABC Television Group; Turner Broadcasting System; and Fox Networks Group, said federally mandated a la carte cable programming would result in "consumers [who] will be outraged."

Read that this way: We producers are going to start charging cable operators big fees, and they will in turn charge consumers very high monthly prices for programming -- all because our networks won't have big enough scale to attract national advertisers.

Add mobile video to the mix, and the average consumer could pay, say, $400 a month for traditional TV and new digital video -- or about the cost of a single person's health care monthly package if he was buying it directly from the insurance company.

Health or entertainment? We all have to make sacrifices. There's a recession going on, after all. The question is, how much can people reasonably pay for traditional or new alternative video they can access any time of the day.

Media executives argue "only the rare consumer who decides to take a handful of a la carte channels would end up paying less than they pay today ... and even this consumer may not be better off as programming quality and choice suffer."

Okay. But when do you ever hear of consumers complaining the quality of television is so bad they form picket lines outside TV producers' studios and stations?

The answer (apart from "Jericho" Internet protests) is that they don't.

But they always complain about price - and that's where the benevolent folks of the advertising industry come in. They'll foot the bill, virtually all of it, if only you'll give them a moment of your time.

So it is better to spend those big bucks on some health insurance premiums and high-priced medical office visits.

And while you are waiting in the examination room -- sitting naked on a table on the kind of paper used to wrap sandwiches on -- laugh as you watch the latest presidential debate on your cell phone.

And kiss your financial assurance goodbye .