The Official I Hate The CRTC Thread

[Classof83]

Well, here it is, what Canadians have to put up with when trying to watch the NFL thanks to simsubbing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhYbU97Y4p0

[noaa2000]

Classof83

I watched your youtube video and was not surprised at all by what took place during the football games.Simsubbing is absolutely the worst thing that was ever created by the ruthless CRTC mafia. This is why I am going to the
US again in Feburary 2009 to a motel down there to watch the Super Bowl
as I have done now for the last several years where I am completely safe from the clutches of the CRTC and their simsub monster.

[Classof83]

I can't believe you go over to escape simsubs during the SuperBowl. Sounds like a good idea though! You should tell the CRTC that they're driving you out of your own country!!!

[CrazyInSane]

Great video Classof83! We don't get simsubs around here for the NFL games, but I can only imagine how painful they must be to experience.

Originally Posted by dbarron

The CTV opaque bugs are particularly annoying and pathetic because we KNOW that they are trying and failing to hide the real source of the broadcast, when they could be honest and respect their viewers a little by just adding a second transparent bug like Global.

I agree completely... whenever Global does a simsub of a broadcast where the original US bug is already in the bottom right corner, they at least respect that fact and place their own logo in the top left corner. CTV, however, completely botches shows like The View (ABC) and Jay Leno (NBC) by placing ugly, opaque bugs of CTV and "A" over the original US logos. To me this is blatant censorship... it would be fine on only the CTV signal, but not the ABC one!

Originally Posted by noaa2000

This is why I am going to the
US again in Feburary 2009 to a motel down there to watch the Super Bowl

I see you live in New Brunswick, so you must have access to Eastlink, no? If you do, they offer timeshifted channels that are NOT affected by simsubbing, even during the Superbowl. I would recommend subscribing to Eastlink before making that trip down.

[Classof83]

When it comes to live sporting events, simsubs are the worst, especially when the ending is cut off because it runs over the originally scheduled length. There's nothing worse than missing the end of a close game, or even missing the post game interviews and wrap ups because another Canadian channel cuts in. I've seen this all too much with football and basketball over the years. Yet, the CRTC calls everything "a minor inconvenience" when you write to them and complain.

So CIS, should I burn our 3 clips we have to DVD and send them out? I'll gladly do it to show just how bad things are.

[noaa2000]

To be truly honest,I have never even heard of Eastlink.

Been going to the US now since 2005 to watch the Super Bowl.However though,
besides the football I have access to US television for the whole weekend which means no simsubbing of any kind!!!! So great getting to watch ESPN and many more American channels that you are unable to get in this country.

The only down part of the trip is when I go into electronics stores and see DirecTv or
Dish Network satellite displays and know that I am unable to,under the threat of
criminal prosecution in Canada if I do so, to subscribe to either one of those
satellite services.

[thegman]

I love the video.

If you were going to make another or improve it, i would add:

The virtual ads on the field. There were times when it covered up the first down lines. Seeing as youve done CT already, Pizza Pizza would be the obvious choise.

The cut away early (youve dont he come back late, so you need this one). This one happens the most, and almost always on a change of possession play (fg, punt, etc) in which there is a flag the commentators dont notice. The US station will set up for a commercial break, but then the commentators notice the flag and start to explain it. Too bad says the canadian overlords, they will break away and you miss the explanation.

Cityvs great wisdom in showing a scroll near the 6pm mark to inform their loyal customers that CP24 is showing news. Has interfered with statistical data on the screen.

Repeating of same commercials over and over and over. With CTV its "Amazing Race", with Citytv its "We have a new number". If you watch, you know what im talking about. Also total lack of HD commercials.

[CrazyInSane]

Originally Posted by Classof83

So CIS, should I burn our 3 clips we have to DVD and send them out? I'll gladly do it to show just how bad things are.

Yes, absolutely, I'm all for it. We really need to let the CRTC know how bad these things can get. I don't know if we should send my original clip of The Today Show though, because they might just say "well CTV doesn't air the Today Show, so what are you trying to say?"... since "A" actually does air Jay Leno, this video alone might have more effect.

[Classof83]

Well, I believe CTV did use to air the Today Show back in the day for a bit if I'm not mistaken (sometimes in the 90's???). But I see Canada AM has been shown since 1972 according to wikipedia, so maybe I'm thinking of something else. But I like your original video too, so I would like to use it.

I know you can download the videos using realplayer and other software, but perhaps you can send me the original files, as they won't be compressed like they are once they are uploaded. I can certainly burn my original clip to DVD and it will be much clearer than it is on youtube (and the pixelation portion that I tried to convey will stand out much more than it does now since everything is kind of pixelated on youtube).

I would also like to write up a letter stating not only how bad simsubbing is and the annoyances it causes, which the DVD with the clips would show, but also how it was created so Canadian networks could come up with more original Canadian shows from the money that is generated, and not continue to hide behind this rule and continue to make money and then do things like outbid the CBC for the rights to the HNIC theme song, or invest in other channels like TSN or the plethora of speciality channels CTV and Global continue to buy. So there's two basic points that I have problems with.

Maybe we should also send in copies of Noaa2000's hotels receipts during the Superbowl and convey to them that they're actually driving citizens out of Canada because of simsubbing!!!

[CrazyInSane]

I can send you the original files, but as I've said earlier I don't have broadband access, so I'd only be able to send them when I can bring my laptop to a Wifi location or otherwise. Where and how should I send the files to you?

I agree with most of your statements and suggestions here. Maybe you can also suggest to the CRTC that they restrict simsub timeframes to allow perhaps only 2 hours of primetime hijacking (I call it hijacking, period) during US primetime hours. I suggest this only because we know the CRTC isn't just gonna throw simsubbing out the window. This would at least stop Global and CTV from being complete slaves to the US network schedules and leaving Canadian audiences feeling that their networks are utterly useless (which they are, these networks basically get permission to show the new episodes of US programs BEFORE the original US network—so Canadians could actually see them first—but are so greedy that they simply simulcast instead to rake in the money).

(Canadian networks) make money then do things like outbid the CBC for the rights to the HNIC theme song, or invest in other channels like TSN or the plethora of speciality channels CTV and Global continue to buy. So there's two basic points that I have problems with.

Yes, this is a great point. These greedy and coward networks continue to say that simsubbing is required or they will go bankrupt, but obviously they have enough money to waste on bidding for the Hockey theme and creating crappy copies of US channels that we could otherwise get imported into Canada in their original form. What about before simsubbing? They didn't go bankrupt then!

Let's face it, Canada (apart from Quebec) doesn't have much of an independent culture. Simsubbing is making this even worse, and the least we should expect from Canadian networks is to air CANADIAN SHOWS! The least, people! We can't continue to accept their excuses of "oh, you'd watch the American shows anyway"... is that what other non-US networks say?? NO! They make their own shows and help maintain an independent culture for their country! Enough of this crap. How do they expect aspiring Canadian stars to stay in this country when it's simply America's little clone!? And why don't these networks air British or Australian series? Like the original "The Office"? Did they forget that Australia and Britain are just as foreign as the US? It's so pathetic. Let's just join the freaking union already. Oh say can you see, by the dawn's early light....

[Classof83]

Well, the CRTC mandate is already weak to begin with...
50 percent only has to be Canadian from 6 pm until midnight, and news broadcasts and news magazines can count towards this 50 percent, so then the hours of 8 until 11 are left open for pure hijacking of all the hit American sitcoms and dramas. Plus there's other things like bonuses for having Canadian staff on board a show and things like that.

But I think the worst is that they continue to hide behind this rule yet are making tons of money and don't bother in investing in new hit shows and instead the programming execs (how difficult a job is that - hey lets air an NBC show at 8, then a CBS show at 9, ok my job is done) take the money and buy fancy boats and 8000 sq foot cottages.

I'll send you a PM of where to send me the videos though.

I might do another video incorporating some of thegman's points, but this time it may be over the top (like a Pizza Pizza ad covering the whole field, or constant ads for CBS' show the Amazing Race on CTV - honestly, that has to be the worst too, taking over the American station and then promoting other American network shows that these American networks compete with - I bet NBC doesn't like seeing CBS ads on what should be its network).

[SAS007]

In the ideal world we would be able to watch or subscribe to TV shows all across the world and watch what we wanted to watch.
The CRTC for various reasons deny this.
I can log onto the Internet and read newspapers from all over the world and probably download certain TV programmes. The CRTC have basically said they cannot control the Internet but can restrict our viewing habits through the various cable and satellite providers.
Id love to be able to watch or subscribe to Sky Sports for example be it for soccer or darts. I do appreciate channels like TSN showing the Ladbrookes World Championships but 6 months after the event it sort of loses its lusture as I already know who won it by following the Planet Darts website which also gives me the option of subscribing to its own website coverage although the quality is not that great.
Some very good Canadian productions like Intelligence on CBC were cancelled and my question is WHY????
I know Im living in a pipe dream to watch what I want when I want but is it really too much to ask for after all I am an adult and should be able to make my own choices.

[Wayne]

I don't know that the CRTC is to blame for many of the issues that you mention. IMHO the biggest issue is the geographic nature of TV rights. For example, even if you could subscribe to Sky Sports in Canada they would not be able to broadcast EPL games as Setanta owns the Canadian rights. Same thing for many other soccer games.

This is also the reason that Canadians cannot access online TV shows from the web sites of the BBC, NBC, ABC, CBS, etc. The CRTC has absolutely nothing to do with this as those networks restrict their web sites to their domestic markets.

Not that I like the CRTC - I would be very happy if they were prorogued immediately.

[SAS007]

I guess I didnt clearly express that I dont blame the CRTC for all of these restrictions but you do bring up another point that I personally find frustrating is the holder of rights like Setanta.
Upto 2 years ago Sportsnet used to show live EPL games or recorded EPL games on a Saturday and they usually broadcast 3 x games. Sure I was paying my provider Shaw to access these games then along came Setanta. You want to watch these games then its going to cost you 15 bucks a month and you can watch these games in SD.
Now given that Sky Sports show these games in HD then Id sooner subscribe to Sky over Setanta.
Im not asking for free TV but in this day and age if Im prepared to pay for it whoever the provider is then why shouldnt I be allowed to subscribe.
Sure I can still watch one EPL game on Sat morning and one on Sun on the Score and thankfully Champions League matches on TSN.
Its like I said in a perfect world but its not perfect.

[Wayne]

The way to get rid of paying a premium for Setanta is for everyone not to subscribe to the channel - then their Canadian channel will fold and the rights will go back to the way they were in the past.

I hate paying the money too but I subscribe to Setanta because I like rugby and before Setanta there was very little rugby shown in Canada. $15/mo is expensive but at least I get to watch all of the important rugby events like Six Nations, TriNations, Super 14, Heineken Company, and UK club games.