Two Canadian TV Networks threaten to close

[Liberalman]

CTV and Canwest are at it again. They are threatening to abandon conventional TV because they are forced to provide Canadian content for the Canadian markets.

CTV’s licence is up for renewal in April and they are threatening the CRTC, which is the Canadian Radio and Television Commission or a federal government-regulating agency for broadcasters and they are threatening to get out of the conventional TV or free television for people that are not on cable or satellite for a fee.

CTV is ready to cut the news morning news local programs of all their newly acquired A Channels TV stations located in Victoria, London and Barrie Ontario. Which means a loss of more than 100 news people.

Canwest and CTV wants to pressure the CRTC into changing their minds on the issue of charging cable TV for conventional TV signals and their reasons are that because of the economic downturn advertising dollars are drying up and they need all the revenue they can get.

This last point, fees for a signal they have a valid point because any cable subscriber can tell you that there is a fee for those channels.

I looked on Rogers Cable TV and their fees start at $39.00 for their basic channels per subscriber when you multiply that by 500,000 plus subscriber base that Rogers has and this is not counting other cable TV companies that is a lot of money and the TV networks should get some of that money and Canadian content can be saved again.

 

[Cannuck]

Who cares if the content is Canadian. Just give good programming.

 

[VanIsle]

Who cares if the content is Canadian. Just give good programming.

We haven't had good progamming for years. On last night's news they announced that CTV and CHEK (Victoria) have already laid off numerous people who would not even have the chance to say their good-byes. They received their pink slips yesterday and were done yesterday. It was also announced that local news hours would be cut (they said by how much and it was considerable but I cannot remember) here and in every CTV news area. CTV owes in the millions.
Liberalman speaks of Rogers and the money they collect. Well, what about Bell Express Vu and Star Choice? Surely some of what they make should be going to these places too. TV is really expensive and with things the way they are, I see some of these companies going down as well.

 

[CanadianLove]

IMO opinion it is part of the American plan to do away with the airwave broadcasting networks. The are just using a different strategy to get the same thing accomplished. Everyone along the border areas (if not the whole country)will have to be hard wired, or on satellite, to watch TV.

 

[Scott Free]

What good is a propaganda machine that no one watches anyway?

In North Korea you must keep your kitchen radio on all the time. I imagine it spews only North Korean content. If we want a totalitarian system then we should follow their lead.

 

[Scott Free]

I looked on Rogers Cable TV and their fees start at $39.00 for their basic channels per subscriber when you multiply that by 500,000 plus subscriber base that Rogers has and this is not counting other cable TV companies that is a lot of money and the TV networks should get some of that money and Canadian content can be saved again.

My god man!!! That's terrible! I remember when propaganda was free!

 

[SirJosephPorter]

If CTV and Canwest want to abandon conventional TV, that is their problem. They are a private business, and they will take decisions in the interest of their company and their shareholders. If they make a business decision to get out of conventional television, what is the problem?

 

[missile]

I watch both of them,but certainly not for any Canadian content..just the good old American series.

 

[ShintoMale]

what canadian content? most of thier programming is american and global is an american tv station that carry canadian news. nothing is canadian about global

 

[Nuggler]

Mehhhhhhhhhh, TV.


Leave it or leave it.

 

[pegger]

If they close, does that mean we'll get the US commercials during the Superbowl?

 

[barney]

Neworks threaten to close? Let them.

Who cares if the content is Canadian. Just give good programming.

Lost count of the number of times I've heard Canadians say that. Canadian broadcasters need to get a clue (that also goes for Canadian studios).

People don't want to watch crappy CC. Hmm, what to do? Perhaps make CC programming better so people will want to watch it? What a concept!

That said, American content can be pretty crappy too.

what canadian content? most of thier programming is american and global is an american tv station that carry canadian news. nothing is canadian about global

Yeah, really. Pathetic isn't it?

I figure limiting them to cable would just leave the airwaves more open to true CC in the form of the CBC (as long as the CBC gets its $hit together and focuses more on being informative than "entertaining" Canadians that can't afford cable/satellite programming).


I don't know what all the hubub is about: it's becoming quite clear that with the entry of broadband internet, TV is going the way of the Dodo. (Gen-Yers don't even bother with TVs anymore, their laptop and a high-speed connection is all the entertainment they need--and Facebook takes up most of their 'watching' time anyway.)

 

[L Gilbert]

There's a few Canadian shows I watch sometimes; W5, 5th Estate, Currents, Comedy network, Country Canada, Rick Mercer, Question Period, etc.
If Canwest/Global can't sell their product, that's tough. It may be because they have bad programming habits like airing the same ad twice in the same ad break and bad news reporting such as editorialising their newsclips.
If I want to watch drama I watch mostly British stuff, though; New Tricks, Midsomer Murders, Poirot, etc.

 

[petros]

Play Beachcombers and King of Kensington all morning and run imports the rest of the day.

 

[petros]

and Definition. I was always awed by the fact people were walking away with Brother typewriters.

 

[mabudon]

Yeah they are both crap, I have not had cable OR a functioning antenna for 2 years and do NOT miss it. Cable is a gigantic sham, if they can't fund "delivery" with the insane amount of advertising then they've failed- asking people to pay to watch advertisements is insulting (I like to show up late to movies for this reason too, there's enough trailers usually for stuff I don't care about that if you're 10 minutes late you're still early for the film itself)

The internet is a beauty alternative (and sure technically you "pay to watch ads" on here too, but unlike cable TV I actually use my 'net connection for work as well as entertainment- cable TV is useless functionality-wise)

 

[petros]

TV is a waste of time. Period!

 

[WindWalker]

They're threatening to close? To put it bluntly, who cares? :roll: I can see the same crap on a hundred other stations.

 

[pegger]

Yeah they are both crap, I have not had cable OR a functioning antenna for 2 years and do NOT miss it. Cable is a gigantic sham, if they can't fund "delivery" with the insane amount of advertising then they've failed- asking people to pay to watch advertisements is insulting (I like to show up late to movies for this reason too, there's enough trailers usually for stuff I don't care about that if you're 10 minutes late you're still early for the film itself)

The internet is a beauty alternative (and sure technically you "pay to watch ads" on here too, but unlike cable TV I actually use my 'net connection for work as well as entertainment- cable TV is useless functionality-wise)

Besides - Mabs-o-vision is AWESOME!!! Deuce rules!