Supposedly those exclusive deals are no longer allowed:
http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/05/federal-court-uph...
The solution above would suit my needs and work for where I live.
It most likely wouldn't be able to scale to cable company levels, but it would be a great small to mid-size local business. One that could be replicated in cities across the nation.
You are trading one set of ridiculous laws for another.