Content is King. Youtube should be copying the model of local TV stations. Charge the cable companies for the privilege of accessing content. It shouldn't be reversed.
Except it doesn't work that way because nobody who uses Comcast knows that Comcast charges content providers for peering. If you use Comcast, then you aren't the customer, you're the product.
For things like YouTube, that could work, but if Netflix tried to do something like that the cable compaines would just start their own services for their customers instead (a la Verizon's Redbox Instant)