Future of Canadian TV

bush_cheney2004 · March 5, 2016

The American networks weren't mandated. That's why they're not included. Why would American television be mandatory in Canada?

The CRTC mandated no additional cost for American broadcast networks if included in skinny cable service. Apparently, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and later FOX have been staples for Canadian cable television for decades.

Smallc · March 6, 2016

The CRTC mandated no additional cost for American broadcast networks if included in skinny cable service.

Linky.

SpankyMcFarland · March 7, 2016

I have never seen a Canadian crime drama as good as the recent Irish one, Love/Hate. Internationally, I'd say Trailer Park Boys and the Green Gables stuff have made the biggest splash since Beachcombers. Why are we so poor at serious TV drama, at least on the Anglophone side?

Edited March 7, 2016 by SpankyMcFarland

overthere · March 8, 2016

The CRTC mandated no additional cost for American broadcast networks if included in skinny cable service. Apparently, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS and later FOX have been staples for Canadian cable television for decades.

But, as in the US, nobody is watching them much anymore. If it wasn't for sports, those mainstream US networks would be in even more trouble.

Viewers are watching the movie networks, HBO, Showtime, Netflix etc that are producng some high quality, instead of game shows and horrible sitcoms.

I predict that the death knell for ABC, NBC CBS will be when the big pro leagues: NFL, NBA, and MLB stop reselling product to networks and start selling directly to consumers and sponsors themselves with their own 'networks', available only as specialty channels on cable or via Internet. . MLB is already well into the technology. Why let NBC take a fat cut of everyhting? What value do they add?

overthere · March 8, 2016

I have never seen a Canadian crime drama as good as the recent Irish one, Love/Hate. Internationally, I'd say Trailer Park Boys and the Green Gables stuff have made the biggest splash since Beachcombers. Why are we so poor at serious TV drama, at least on the Anglophone side?

Because most of it is made by tenured civil servants operating in a bloated bureaucracy supported by Other Peoples Money.

And the CBC is going to get a big reward soon for helping out Mr Trudeau so often and so profoundly in the last year or so.

Edited March 8, 2016 by overthere

SpankyMcFarland · March 8, 2016

Because most of it is made by tenured civil servants operating in a bloated bureaucracy supported by Other Peoples Money.

And the CBC is going to get a big reward soon for helping out Mr Trudeau so often and so profoundly in the last year or so.

Not everybody in Canada works for the CBC. What's their excuse?

bush_cheney2004 · March 13, 2016

Canadian border hoppers are losing the U.S. Netflix battle as the crackdown on unblocking services continues.

Unblocking services provide the technology for Netflix customers to watch shows in other countries. Due to region-exclusive content licensing agreements, the streaming service doesn't allow border hopping and is now cracking down.

On both Twitter and Facebook, numerous customers with the Toronto-based unblocking company UnoTelly are complaining they can no longer stream Netflix.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/netflix-crackdown-unblocking-1.3487368

Access to content only licensed in other countries is apparently a very big deal for some Canadians customers.

Edited March 13, 2016 by bush_cheney2004

cybercoma · March 13, 2016

Maybe now they'll realize Canadian Netflix has some better stuff e the US like Ex Machina, It Follows, Godfather, Whiplash, and Better Call Saul. I wonder if Netflix is cracking down on Americans trying to get he better Canadian Netflix?

overthere · March 13, 2016

Not everybody in Canada works for the CBC. What's their excuse?

Your reference was to those producing crappy Canadian dramas for Canadian TV . The CBC, Council for the Arts and NFB are the workhorses in this environment, and they are all tenured civil servants.

bush_cheney2004 · March 13, 2016

I really should make an effort to actually watch some Canadian television programming just to see how good/bad it is (CBC, CTV, Global, City, TVA, wtc.). Discounting all the licensed American content and hockey, there still has to be many daily schedule hours of pure, straight up Canadian television.

I will see if any of these stream across the border without blocking.

On Guard for Thee · March 13, 2016

I really should make an effort to actually watch some Canadian television programming just to see how good/bad it is (CBC, CTV, Global, City, TVA, wtc.). Discounting all the licensed American content and hockey, there still has to be many daily schedule hours of pure, straight up Canadian television.

I will see if any of these stream across the border without blocking.

Ah, it sounds like you are adhering to Justin's advice that American's should learn a little about the rest of the world.

bush_cheney2004 · March 13, 2016

Hmmmm...just checking CTV's programming schedule and titles, it is heavily laden with American programming.

But The Marilyn Denis Show talk show seems to be all Canadian...will see if that streams unblocked.

GostHacked · March 14, 2016

Torrents. Problem solved

cybercoma · March 14, 2016

Torrents. Problem solved

Until you get emailed a copyright claim.

bush_cheney2004 · March 14, 2016

Looks like Trudeau was right even when it comes to the past, present, and future of Canadian TV...it is mostly defined by the United States. Started with OTA broadcast of American stations, fostered cable television with American content, satellite receivers (banned by the CRTC), and now continues with Internet streaming services.

The Marilyn Denis Show is charming, but too little...too late.

TimG · March 14, 2016

Maybe now they'll realize Canadian Netflix has some better stuff e the US like Ex Machina, It Follows, Godfather, Whiplash, and Better Call Saul. I wonder if Netflix is cracking down on Americans trying to get he better Canadian Netflix?

The biggest problem is the mismatch between any given catalog and what someone would like to watch. One can subscribe to Netflix Canada, Shomi and CraveTV and get a good selection of shows that are available to Canadians but most of those shows will be uninteresting to any individual and there will be a few shows which are not available in any of the bundles which the individual wants to see. One can buy almost any show from iTunes but the cost is astronomical when compared to the streaming bundles (2$ per episode x 13-22 episode x 1-5 seasons adds up really fast). This concern about Netflix access would go away if the cost of a season was reduced to the cost of a movie rental. Edited March 14, 2016 by TimG

bush_cheney2004 · March 14, 2016

Canadian Netflix was never intended to be a primary media distribution option for people still fighting the CRTC/cable/telcom wars in Canada. It's an affordable service for people who like what it has to offer, not what it has to offer in other countries/regions.

I have been a Netflix subscriber (we don't call it "American Netflix") since 2005 back when it was only a DVD by mail service. Streaming came later and eventually the DVD service went away. For about $8 per month, you get a decent but not extraordinary catalog of film and television titles. Doesn't mean cancel all cable channels (still want local/news/finance/sports/weather etc.) or whine about what is available in Mexico.

SpankyMcFarland · March 16, 2016

Your reference was to those producing crappy Canadian dramas for Canadian TV . The CBC, Council for the Arts and NFB are the workhorses in this environment, and they are all tenured civil servants.

Wait a second. What is stopping anybody else producing decent TV in this country? There is no law against that.

Edited March 16, 2016 by SpankyMcFarland

cybercoma · March 16, 2016

There's all kinds of decent TV produced in Canada for years. 21 Jump Street, MacGyver, Battlestar Galactica, Once Upon a Time, Supernatural, Fringe, The X-Files, all filmed in Canada.

Boges · March 16, 2016

So the Skinny Package is rather useless. Just OTA channels and uniquely Canadian cable channels that no one watches. WTF is with the Aboriginal channel still being on basic cable? Who watches that ever?

My provider has started offering the a la carte model. It doesn't save any money though as they still charge extra for popular channels. I can choose between whether I may watch Spike, Nat Geo or Showcase. But I certainly will watch TSN and Sportsnet. It's much better than the bundle model where you're forced to get channels you don't want. . . like the Aboriginal channel!

Member Ash mentioned you can stream sports. Not well! It's low quality and you have to go through a gauntlet of pop-ups. The sports fan is still at the mercy of cable providers.

And when you consider that, if you do pay for cable, you likely won't need unlimited bandwidth, the price and convenience of having cable only amounts to maybe a premium of $50 or so.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Boges

bush_cheney2004 · March 16, 2016

So the Skinny Package is rather useless. Just OTA channels and uniquely Canadian cable channels that no one watches.

But based on what I know about basic VHF/UHF antenna range, many Canadians are not able to get Canadian OTA let alone American OTA, even with low power repeaters in the outback. The CRTC went out of its way to include American "4+1" content, apparently because it is something many Canadians want, despite identical programming purchased by CTV, Global, etc.

So skinny cable with just the basics may appeal to some viewers, even as a compliment to streaming options.

I agree that streaming sports from malware ridden web sites in Macedonia leaves much to be desired. Advantage cable.

Edited March 16, 2016 by bush_cheney2004

cybercoma · March 16, 2016

Why would you complain about something you don't watch? APTN is a service to aboriginal communities. I watch their news shows on occasion too. If you don't watch it, who care if it's there?

Boges · March 16, 2016

Why would you complain about something you don't watch? APTN is a service to aboriginal communities. I watch their news shows on occasion too. If you don't watch it, who care if it's there?

It's part of the CRTC mandated "Skinny package", that's why. Then again so is the Christian channel. So is CPAC, I believe. I'm sure there is basic cable more popular than those channels.

I'd rather a channel like CBC Newsworld be part of the standard package.

Edited March 16, 2016 by Boges

cybercoma · March 16, 2016

I'm not going to argue with your tastes, but do you understand why APTN and CPAC are part of it?

March 21, 2016

It's part of the CRTC mandated "Skinny package", that's why. Then again so is the Christian channel. So is CPAC, I believe. I'm sure there is basic cable more popular than those channels.

I'd rather a channel like CBC Newsworld be part of the standard package.

I find it interesting that the "Christian channel" is mandatory. Though, I can see the reasoning behind mandating CPAC, APTN, French channels, etc. I can't think of any compelling argument for forcing the inclusion of a Christian station.