CBC/SRC DTV Transition Status (closed)

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by BCF

I hope that it's NOT "implied" the the London station/repeaters would be shut down.

Be careful what you wish for. Since the DTV plans CBC published don't include London, shutting down the repeaters would mean no CBC OTA in London. Is that what you want? If so, why?

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by Jase88

I'm certain that London will retain it's CBC transmitter(s). You cannot serve London with a Toronto transmitter, so it would stand to reason that London retains it facilities.

That assumes the CBC cares if they serve London.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by iblackford

what CBC would lose from pulling out their repeaters from mandatory markets completely?

Officially they would loose two things. As you said, priority carriage on cable, but it is unlikely the cable companies would change their lineup unless they need to, as it would be a source of customer complaints.

They would also loose simultaneous substitution rights on American programs, but the CBC doesn't have nearly as much of that as the other networks, so even that isn't all that important to them.

The biggest reason for the CBC to stay on air is to serve the Canadian population, which is their mandate from the federal government. For this your MP is your biggest ally.

[BCF]

Originally Posted by roger1818

Be careful what you wish for. Since the DTV plans CBC published don't include London, shutting down the repeaters would mean no CBC OTA in London. Is that what you want? If so, why?

Nope, not at all. Just to clarify: I do NOT want ANY repeaters (or CFPL / 'A' London, for that matter) shutdown in the London area, hence

I hope that it's NOT "implied" the the London station/repeaters would be shut down.

Since London is in the list of Mandatory Markets in Ontario where OTA needs to be converted to digital by August 31, 2011, I hope that CBC will convert the London CBC repeater transmitter to digital.

London is located in an area where reliable everyday reception of other market OTA channels is not possible. I'm mainly referring to US OTA DTV channels that only come in to "visit" London on Tropo days.

[ralph_sinclair]

I think it's clear that CBC has given up the ghost on OTA transmission. There is probably some sort of posturing over FFC going on here. CTV/Rogers/Global have the incentive of FFC to perform their digital switch. For CBC its just money down the tubes.

Reading the CBC release, it looks like KW, London, Moncton, Victoria, Lethbridge and Saskatoon will be getting the shaft (would lose their analog CBC station next year, and no mention of requests to CRTC for extension). CBC OTA viewers in these cities should contact their MP's, or else obediently go out and get cable, like the CBC is hoping you will do.

Maybe the CBC is hoping the CRTC will force Shaw to pay for their digital OTA conversion as "tangible benefits" for the Canwest purchase. They can dream...

[Jase88]

I wouldn't say KW has gotten the "shaft". The Toronto CBC (English) signal is currently the strongest of all the Toronto digital stations in KW. The French station is weaker, but I get it quite easily off my tower.

And again, while I suspect the CBC could mothball transmitters in mandatory areas like KW, we don't yet know for sure if this will be the case.

[micah]

Originally Posted by ralph_sinclair

CBC OTA viewers in these cities should contact their MP's, or else obediently go out and get cable, like the CBC is hoping you will do.

Yeah. I agree. I emailed asking my MP to get in touch with someone and ask them to be up front with their plans on the repeaters (and of course, ask them not to drop London - it's the 10th largest city in Canada)

[Walter Dnes]

Maybe the most effective weapon would be a "use-it-or-lose-it" directive. I seem to recall Mr. Bitove wanting to set up a Canadian OTA HD networka few years ago, but the incumbents were howling about it. Since openings seem likely to pop up with, CBC's allocated channels might be put up for grabs where they shut down.

[hkaye]

When contacting your MP, remind them that "local tv matters", seems the broadcasters have forgotten about this.

I like the use it or lose it policy. Perhaps they'll allow the American networks to put a few transmitters in London. They seem to be able to put them up in the US. And have local news as well. I don't see why not, the facade of the CRTC protecting Canadian broadcaster hasn't worked well for the consumer.

Allow subchannels, I'm sure the ABC/CBS/Fox affliate would rebroadcast the CBC on one of their transmitters. Another subchannel could run whatever other Canadian content is/was made - maybe eTalk and reruns of the Littlest Hobo, the Beachcombers and the Red Green Show.

[BCF]

Originally Posted by vcrite

Transmitters broadcasting in a "mandatory market" (federal/provincial/territorial capital, 2+ originating stations, or 300,000 person market) are required by the CRTC to transition to digital.
I have seen no reference anywhere in the CRTC decisions, that the transition is limited to where the original content is produced or that translator transmitters are exempted.

I can't see how all of the currently served mandatory markets will receive CBC OTA in digital. How, for instance, will London, ON, a mandatory market, receive CBC English and French in digital? Both CBC English and French are currently available there in analog.

To put it is CRTC-speak, there are two questions for the CRTC to decide:
-Should over-the-air broadcast undertakings in mandatory markets be permitted to transition to digital after the August 31, 2011 deadline?
-Should broadcast undertakings in mandatory markets be permitted to cease transmission over-the-air rather than transitioning to digital?

I'm wondering the same thing too, vcrite. I guess shutting down OTA repeaters, and going with cable/satellite is what broadcasters will be forcing consumers to do.

[BCF]

Originally Posted by Jase88

I wouldn't say KW has gotten the "shaft". The Toronto CBC (English) signal is currently the strongest of all the Toronto digital stations in KW. The French station is weaker, but I get it quite easily off my tower.

Maybe not KW, given it's close distance from Toronto... but it seems like cities like London have been given the "shaft" by the CBC.

Why should my tax dollars support the CBC, if I'm not benefitting like other Canadians??

[micah]

Originally Posted by BCF

Why should my tax dollars support the CBC, if I'm not benefitting like other Canadians??

Another good point to mention to your MP! But be careful, because that could also be interpreted as an anti-CBC statement.

[roger1818]

Originally Posted by ralph_sinclair

Reading the CBC release, it looks like KW, London, Moncton, Victoria, Lethbridge and Saskatoon will be getting the shaft (would lose their analog CBC station next year, and no mention of requests to CRTC for extension).

Not sure how Victoria is getting the shaft. There has never been a CBC TV transmitter there. People there have always just picked it up on Channel 2 out of Vancouver.

[j0dest3r]

On the air by Aug. 31, 2011:
CBC: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton
SRC: Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Quebec City, Rimouski, Trois-Rivières, Sherbrooke, Chicoutimi, Moncton

• On the air by Aug. 31, 2012:
CBC: Yellowknife, Regina, Winnipeg, Windsor, Saint-John/Fredericton, Charlottetown, Halifax, St. John’s
SRC: Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Winnipeg


How can they say 2012? Doesn't the CRTC and /or minister have to allow that? That won't be fair to the others if CBC gets special treatment.

[Blackburst]

I didn't go thru the entire thread, so my point may have already been touched up...

How is it that SRC can arrange to have 9 stations operating in DT by 2011, but the CBC can only arrange 6. Look at that list carefully. Not one CBC station in DT east of Montreal. Talk about writing off the four Atlantic provinces.

I don't know what excuse the CBC is using for only having 6 DT stations in operation. If it's money related! I would suggest they get their 6 current DT stations up to full power now, shut down their equivalent analog signals in those markets. Use the money saved to focus on getting at least as many DT stations in full operation as SRC will by Sept. 2011.

Sometimes I wonder if Harper and the Conservatives aren't right about putting an end to this public broadcaster.