CRTC, Cancon, TV Broadcasters, and TV providers

[westmanguy]

Passionate subject to me.

Now the CRTC regulates a certain amount of Canadian content (cancon from this point on), on the TV broadcasters with good intention:

To stabilize the Canadian culture industry
Give us a unique culture and identity.

Now, does this hold up for the broadcasters.... no.

When you watch the countless "Canadian" networks, what do you see? American programming..

CTV
Global
Citytv
A-Channel
CH
etc.

Multiple, multiple american programs. And to fill their requirements what do we see?

News - Local news in morning, evening, and night, national news (I enjoy the Canadian news, but its a "filler')
Shows like:

Entertaiment Tonight Canada
Canadian Idol
Deal or No Deal Canada
and other Canadian-American spin offs.

And other fillers and some casual good series. ( Corner Gas, Degrassi, Can. Idol)

And then the networks make their profit, by simulcasting American shows, with canadian commercials, on the American network.

My feeling. Open market, where the Canadian broadcasters, have a limit on how much foreign programming they can air. INSTEAD of a minimum of Canadian content.

I would much rather see Canadian broadcasters creating a good quality cancon programs, and open us to the freedom of the American channels.

Instead of Canadian re-airings, and Canadian versions of specialty channels.

This issue bugs me big. Now I am not at the point at: Kill the CRTC, we need to have some type of protector of Canadian culture and the industry.

We need it reformed... thoughts?

P.S. The whole original purpose of American programs on Canadian networks, was too communities who couldn't pick up American stations, so they could enjoy the programming.

Now with most people on satellite or cable, and most Antenna people near the border, its a non issue.

I want the Canadian networks to make Canadian content pretty much exclusively, and American networks to operate freely.

 

[RomSpaceKnight]

I doubt that the canadian film and TV industry could supply enough quality programming to fill an entire day of programming let alone supply every Canadian network and local station. We are lucky to have CBC. The rest must operate at a profit and answer to shareholders not viewers. It would be nice though. I think most yank programming is pretty much fluff or even recycled fluff. I don't watch much TV myself mostly Food Network and History Channel.

 

[westmanguy]

Yes, but we get the History Channel Canada (which, is smart decsion in the version of history, as we are unique), but channels like:

Canada - America

Movie Central/TMN - HBO
Food Network Canada - Food Network
MTV Canada - MTV
TV Land Canada - TV Land
G4 Tech TV Canada - G4 Tech TV
Biography Channel Canada - Biography Channel
Comedy Network - Comedy Central

I could go on and on.

Whats the differnece? half-done content to the original, off schedule airings, fluff repeated Canadian shows to fill cancon requirements.

When you watch MTV Canada, you see MTV shows with Etalk Music, etc. to meet requirements.

I mean they are basically taking American content, buying the rights, reairing them, inserting their own commercials, profit.

Now if they provided the same shedule to the touch of the American version, I wouldn't be annoyed. But they don't, its watered down.

Then the Canadian networks air 3 hours of American programming and insert commercials.

Its all for profit, and the US channels are locked out (most of them). I agree it comes down to profit. But this is ridiculous, we need some new rules.

Anyone notice how many illegal satellite dishes we got in Canada? DirecTV and Dish Network. Some estimates say anywhere from 750 000 to 1 000 000. I am not one of them. But Canadians are fed up with the current system. And what will happen is more and more people will leap to illegal US satellite service, and the service providers will begin to suffer from losing subscription rates. Prices for channel packages with go up. The canadian networks will lose viewing audience, and they will suffer, and in result the Culture industry will suffer. Which is slowly happening.

Now their is 2 ways of going about to fix this:

Crack down on illegal US satellites, and make punishments bigger, and create contreversy.

OR, reform the system, so people don't feel compelled to go to illegal US satellite.

Just in my town of 2,500 people, from walking around our streets I have counted about 30 of them. And with people of different ethnic backgrounds, they prop up these illegal systems.

Its just hurting us. And condemning these people and trying to "stop it", is not effective. We need to find a better solution.

The Canadian tv industry is a mess IMO only.

 

[darleneonfire]

Westmanguy, just curious, is there anything you DO like and don't consider some sort of evil conspiracy?

 

[westmanguy]

Apply this to life:

How often does someone go out of the way to say how good something is. If something is good, there is no reason to bring attention to it.

But if something is bad, then people do and will bring attention to it.

Do you want me to just make threads saying: "May cable company is great!" "Our hospitals are great!" "Our nation is great!" If nothing is wrong with it, I don't bring it up. If you would like to take this to Wreck Beach, be my guest, and we can ruff it out there, but in this thread, stay on topic please.

 

[darleneonfire]

Apply this to life:

How often does someone go out of the way to say how good something is. If something is good, there is no reason to bring attention to it.

But if something is bad, then people do and will bring attention to it.

Do you want me to just make threads saying: "May cable company is great!" "Our hospitals are great!" "Our nation is great!" If nothing is wrong with it, I don't bring it up. If you would like to take this to Wreck Beach, be my guest, and we can ruff it out there, but in this thread, stay on topic please.

I have no problems what-so-ever with the state of television in this country. I support Canadian content rules and I like the CBC.I'm just saying that it seems you have nothing but issues with everything around you.

 

[westmanguy]

So its wrong for me, to have multiple issues with different aspects of government, business, life, etc.

I think there is great things about this nation, but there is bad things too. If something is good, it doesn't need to be addressed, if something is bad it does need to be addressed? Do you disagree on that statement?

 

[darleneonfire]

So its wrong for me, to have multiple issues with different aspects of government, business, life, etc.

I think there is great things about this nation, but there is bad things too. If something is good, it doesn't need to be addressed, if something is bad it does need to be addressed? Do you disagree on that statement?

Look I don't want to have a war about this, but of the ten posts you started, everyone of them involves you versus--take your pick!The thought comes to me that maybe the problem is you?

 

[L Gilbert]

My major bug is that warning that Canadian providers have to put on concerning violence, swearing, etc. I think the warning itself is fine but it's inane to have it aired at us every single goddam ad break. So because of that, I watch extremely little Canadian tv now: kinda like occassional news and that's about it. I watch tv to be entertained, not to be irritated.

 

[L Gilbert]

My major bug is that warning that Canadian providers have to put on concerning violence, swearing, etc. I think the warning itself is fine but it's inane to have it aired at us every single goddam ad break. So because of that, I watch extremely little Canadian tv now: kinda like occassional news and that's about it. I watch tv to be entertained, not to be irritated.

As far as the CBC goes, they should pay their own way instead of having our taxdollars subsidize them. Make em do like PBS does or whine at charities for money or something. I pay enough for enough that I don't use, so entertainment shouldn't be one I have to pay for when I don't use it. I WANNA REBATE!!!

Bad enough I have to fork over for Air Canada when I haven't flown for years and wouldn't use Air Canada if I did anyway.

 

[dude1981]

My major bug is that warning that Canadian providers have to put on concerning violence, swearing, etc. I think the warning itself is fine but it's inane to have it aired at us every single goddam ad break. So because of that, I watch extremely little Canadian tv now: kinda like occassional news and that's about it. I watch tv to be entertained, not to be irritated.

Never thought of that, but you're right. My mom watches mostly CBC channels on Expressvu and the warnings come on after every commercial

 

[westmanguy]

Same with CTV and Global.. I mean we got:

The V-Chip in all 13 inch TVs built since the 90s

All Digital Satellite Receivers and Digital Cable Receivers have Ratings software to lock out certain programs.

They have that little symbol at the beginning of the show.

Can you just air the announcement ONCE at the beginning and leave and not any more?

Ever watched the Comedy Network.. they do that nearly every commercial break.