The tier system, which was pioneered during the analog cable days and requires that subscribers buy TV channels in set groups or tiers, must be offered on digital cable until at least 2010, the CRTC said.
"Programmers are generally opposed to stand-alone or à la carte program offerings," the CRTC said in a lengthy policy statement.
"Nevertheless . . . consumers should be free to subscribe to them."
As the industry shifts from analog to digital transmission, which provides a high-definition TV signal through a set-top box, cable companies have sought to sell channels individually.
However, in a show of support for analog cable networks concerned that their audiences may plunge, the CRTC said the tiered system must be kept in place on digital cable until 2013. If cable providers have transferred more than 85 per cent of their subscribers to digital after 2010, that system can be dropped.
I agree that in the end the non-tiered system will be more expensive. As it is now, yes, I do get channels I don't watch often. But is good to have because you never know when IFC shows a decent flick.Interceptor said:How are you getting "a better value" if you are paying for channels you don't watch. You're drinking too much kool-aid.
The suppliers should supply us with what we want, not what they want, and for the same price. We'd get rid of a lot of deadwood channels with their most popular programs finding new homes.
Thank you for explaining why PPV (Pay-Per-View) doesn't work . But guess what, PPV *DOES* work. You can press a few buttons, and select...I don't think we will see many BDUs go to à la carte (aka pick'n'pay) because it will be a nightmare to administer. It will drive customer support costs through the roof. The logistics of selecting 10, 20, 30 channels with a CSR will be very time consuming.
The answer to that is to make a channel selection a one-month minimum.Some customers will choose the cheapest package and constantly switch to get shows on unsubscribed channels.
Posts by "rogerduvernay" and "starchoice" indicate that this is available right now on Videotron and StarChoice. A-la-carte is effectively a scaled-up PPV. If anything, it BENEFITS from economies of scale. instead of having one purchase transaction per 90 minutes (the length of an average movie), you're looking at one purchase transaction per 43,200 minutes (30 days). That's 1/480th of the transaction overhead.PPV works because it is a money maker for BDUs. A-la-carte may be available because it makes money due to the high cost per channel, $3-$5 per month retail for a wholesale cost of $0.50-$1.00. Pick'n'pay will probably not be implemented due to the fact that it will not increase profits and will increase costs. It's not so much a technical issue as a corporate decision due to cash flow.
So far though, since the Sept 2001 launch of those channels, few have gone under. Many have sold to larger companies, and got slightly to majorly reworked and rebranded.Walter Dnes said:Not only that, it'll save the BDUs money by freeing up a lot of bandwidth, as a gazillion food-and-cooking-channels and watching-the-paint-dry-channels kick the bucket due to lack of VOLUNTARY viewership.
The reason for that being that they're rammed down cable subscribers' throats, not to mention Ted Rogers and his "Negative Option Billing". Look at the following pay channels that are part of Rogers' "Basic Cable" service in the GTA...So far though, since the Sept 2001 launch of those channels, few have gone under.
Let me guess:Classicsat said
22 Rogers Sportsnet Ontario
23 The Weather Network
24 CablePulse24
25 YTV (East)
26 CBC Newsworld/Voiceprint (SAP)
62 CTV Newsnet
63 Star!
65 Treehouse
69 RDI
71 APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network)
If these pay channels weren't being rammed down cable subscribers' throats, many of them would've bit the dust just like "C Channel" in 1983, 6 months after it launched.
Oops, I missed Vision TV on the mandatory pay TV list.I don't think any of those are Pay stations. They all have commercials, and derive most of their income from commercials.
I couldn't have said it better myself. And I think it should also be available by unencrypted QAM for people with digital TVs... and why not, we're not preventing the cable co. from making the switch to digital, we gladly embrace it."Must carry" should be: local OTA + US networks.
Surely Quebec City would have TVA, TQS, Radio-Quebec available OTA. Also isn't there a UHF CBC English rebroadcaster, and the Global station (CKMI) is based in Quebec City as well?The only OTA available is CBC French.