CRTC requires Bell TV and Shaw Direct to carry more local television

[wetlabk]

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2011/2011-295.htm

CRTC requires Bell TV and Shaw Direct to carry more local television
stations

OTTAWA-GATINEAU, May 4, 2011 - The Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) today updated its satellite
distribution policy to require Bell TV and Shaw Direct to carry all local
television stations supported by the Local Programming Improvement Fund.

"Canadians in all markets should have access to their local television
stations, regardless of how they receive their programming," said Konrad
von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC. "The carriage of additional
local stations will put satellite distributors on the same footing as
cable companies and provide their subscribers with more choice in local
news and information."

[ScaryBob]

A pound short and ten years too late. The damage to local stations and independent networks has already been done.

[scrooloose]

Great, the CRTC solves a problem I hear very few people actually complaining about and now we get even more compression and fewer channels we actually want! Good job CRTC, good job.

-Mike

[HankMoody]

In a normal system your local channels would be all you would receive for Canadian networks in your area, thus helping the local advertisers whom buy air time for a specific program.

But I'm certainly not complaining, the way it is now benefits the subscriber... for a change!

[hugh]

This is going to cost Canadians hundreds of millions, perhaps billions, of dollars in the coming years.

Add in the cost of new satellites, MPEG-4 receiver upgrade, added costs of signal acquistion and distribution will all be paid for eventually by the consumer.

IN addition, more channels means more compression.

So we pay more and get less quality.

Thanks CRTC!

[mjjl]

How much compression is used in spot-beam systems such as is used in the United States for delivering local and regional systems?

I ask because I think spot-beaming might be a better alternative worth exploring for local station delivery than what the CRTC is continuing to allow.

[disparishun]

Wait, you think that the new satellites, added capacity, and MPEG-4 transition are being undertaken in order to respond to the CRTC's policy, and not (1) as ordinary technological upgrades and (2) as part of the already-promised benefits package for the Bell-CTV merger?

[hugh]

MY guess is that Bell and Shaw will try to use every technical trick in the book to limit how much capacity is used by these stations but lets face it, every channel you add means more costs and less capacity for everything else.

[hugh]

Wait, you think that the new satellites, added capacity, and MPEG-4 transition are being undertaken in order to respond to the CRTC's policy, and not (1) as ordinary technological upgrades and (2) as part of the already-promised benefits package for the Bell-CTV merger?

New satellites etc is primarily due to CRTC demands. Without new satellites, new receivers etc this would NOT be possible.

[disparishun]

Really? You think the new satellites which were designed, contracted, and down-paid-on years ago are a result of a CRTC decision issued today? And otherwise the ones currently in the skies would have flown in perpetuity? That is not very convincing.

[glparker4]

What is stopping the satellite providers from using spot-beam technology? I don't understand the CRTC logic in forcing the providers to offer local stations to a national audience. These channels provide little value outside their local markets in age of the PVR.

[bubbaspeed]

under this directive, how many and which channels will they be forced to add?

[hugh]

At least all of these
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/stats8.htm

CRTC says Bell will have to add 43 stations and Shaw will have 80 in total (not sure how many they have now)

[j0dest3r]

Their efforts would be better served by getting the Digital OTA coverage beefed up and making people more aware of it IMHO. Nothing wrong having both options.

[StickyDragon]

I agree. These channels are free to local people, why does the rest of the country need these repeated channels using up bandwidth on satellite. Give me the canadian networks in 2-3 timezones and that it enough thanks.