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Rumors surfaced this week that Apple is in the process of putting together a $30-a-month iTunes TV offering. This rumored iTunes TV is supposedly something altogether different from the currently available Apple TV.

Apple TV is a piece of hardware that makes it easy to watch media (video, audio, pictures) on your regular TV. iTunes TV, on the other hand, would be a software offering that would allow consumers to watch “channels” on a PC for example. Apple TV combined with iTunes TV, though, could enhance the watching experience.

The idea’s an interesting one, as it would put Apple head-to-head with cable providers such as Comcast, who currently offer consumers bundles of various TV channels for a subscription fee. I have to ask: could Apple really beat out such providers such as Comcast? Well, what if Apple took the tactic of selling programming by the channel, rather than by the bundle? Not that Apple’s giving us any hints yet as to how its subscriptions would work, but such a tactic is one way the company could attempt an end-run around the cable providers.

Comcast’s basic digital TV option — its digital “starter” subscription, costs more than $60 without a 6 months offer. And though it does offer dozens of channels, how many do you watch on a regular basis? Except for premium channels such as HBO and Cinemax, for which most consumers have higher willingness to pay, viewers have very different ...