*Only local and regional television stations licensed to broadcast within the BDU’s licensed area shall be included in the package.
So, I expect this decision to result in free Analog Cable on channels 2-13 consisting of Canadian local OTAs, Satelite-to-Cable broadcating undertakings like ASN, a community cable channel, and a few addional channels.
Huh? if you include the community cable channel and a few additional channels, you are back to the current basic service...
It looks like the decision was targetting only digital transmission, which means the skinny basic offers: SRC, CBC, CTV, Global, (and depending on your area: Télé-Québec, TVOntario, TVA, V, /A\, ASN, CHCH), well, any channel offered OTA in your area qualifies. No Weather Network, no CPAC, no Shopping Channel and no friggin' APTN.
Questions an concerns...
As cslusarc pointed out, what about analog service? Some cable providers uses absolutely no filters to block analog channels, while others use them, but digital boxes need to access specific frequencies to function and to access a QAM (group of channels).
Live example, Videotron puts a TNV filter that blocks from 130Mhz to 310Mhz, which gives me access to channels 2-6, 95-99, 14-15, 39 and beyond. I can access for free TV5, PBS, TLC, YTV, CMT, CBC News, CPAC and APTN. and some QAM have been placed between analog channels. So choosing between only the skinny basic for free or only the digital basic service for a fee gives me the same analog channels.
There's no mention of US channels. For canadian cities located nearby a major US city whose residents can use a small antenna to receive the networks, do they qualify? I'm thinking of southers ontario, or the Vermont stations labeled as "burlington-plattsburgh-montreal", can they be added to the skinny basic?
Local package users cannot receive video-on-demand or any other broadcasting services[/b. in conjunction with the local package.
They say services. So, no Pay-Per-View or VOD, but can they offer skinny basic AND The Movie Network? Or any Tier packages?
No monthly fee shall be charged for the local package service
Nothing will stop cable providers from charging you 5$ network access fees which is required to operate the digital box, so nothing will be free of charge. In the other hand, you're escaping paying for the Fee-For-Carriage and the LPIF (Local Programming Improvement Fund), but you'll need to pay for access to the IPG.
As also pointed out, PVRs relies heavily on the IPG. Will they allow users to use a PVR without IPG, so you can manually program your shows?