[MCIBUS]

I noticed that Rogers has applied for French version of Sportsnet, which brings me to my question?

How many channels do we really need of one type programing IE Sports etc?

True we have

TSN
TSN2
Sportnets(all regions)
Sportnet(the special ones for individual hockey teams)
Sportnet One
Score
RDS
RDS Info
2 "oldies shows(Comedy Gold & Deja Vu)
and a few others.

For sports true the ones we got are OK but there's only so much sports to go around and not all sports are popular(depending on ones personal taste)

But that aside do we need 2 SCI-FI channels?
If you look at whats been licensed there are at least 2-3 channels that are "suppose" to show the same programing.

IE

Horror.

There are at least 2-3 channels(not yet launched but licensed) to show that type of programing.

I understand about competition, but when does it become to much of one thing and

1) there is only so much programing available
2) space be it cable/sat/IPTV or through cell phones on so much bandwidth.


And the funny part of this lots these tv channels show programing not even related to the channels programing license?

 

[Fonceur]

Well, if channels were not artificially kept on life support through bundling, the ones that nobody watches could just die off and strengthen the surviving one.

No channels should be denied on the basis that it will compete with existing ones, but it should be able to either swim or sink on its own.

 

[Jase88]

I believe Shaw Media has also applied for a specialty sports channel license. Why there are so many sports channels I'll never know. Most of them already use excessive amounts of filler programming such as "Poker". For the consumer, this simply means there will be less legitimate sports programming carried on conventional TV.

With regards to other specialty channels: Agreed--their programming doesn't seem to jive with their channel theme.

For example, NatGeo has been showing plenty of "Lockdown" and other prison reality-type shows. To view actual wildlife/nature programming, I've increasingly been turning to PBS.

 

[audacity]

Well, channel counts will probably keep growing, but I don't think it will be quickly.

Until streaming video over the internet starts to displace the existing TV infrastructure and the concept of "channels" in general. For example, it makes sense to make every hockey game, but then you need as many channels as you have concurrent hockey games. The problem with this is that outside of those peak times do you really need a full time channel?

Instead, you could have a given number of live streams and people can select the stream that they are interested in and start watching. My friends who are sports fans tell me that this is already done today, so I think it's just going to be a process of converting over to this new system.

So, when you go back to the question "how many channels do we really need". The answer in the future will be a relatively small number or a very large number, depending on what you define a channel as.

 

[jericho]

I agree, why does the CRTC keep approving more of the same channels over and over again!

 

[numba1killa]

if your talking about sports , how do you think the US feels ?

Comcast sports net
Fox Sports
CBS college sports
EPSN
ESPN2
ESPN U
ESPNEWS
EPSN America
ESPN 3D
ESPN Classic
ESPN Plus
ESPN on ABC!
NESN
Big 10
YES
NHL Network
NFL Network

AND lets not forget
ABC Sports
CBS Sports
FOX Sports ( local channels )
NBC Sports

IF you think we have it tough ... go look at the US sports . PLUS for the Fox sports channels , they have to cover ALOT of teams.

Anyway , it couldn't hurt to have some channels gone ... i pretty much think the only reason why TSN2 came out was for 1. Simsubbing and 2. Showing stuff that can't air in Canada while TSN is airing something more important ...

 

[Jase88]

The US has far more sports teams than Canada. And you can still catch games (particularly baseball) on conventional TV in the US. That's a privilege we often no longer enjoy in Canada...unless you can catch US stations OTA across the border.

 

[David1953]

Since "Scream" became "Dusk", we don't really have a "true" horror channel anymore, and that is why I am all for another channel exclusively dedicated to horror. Also, our "Space" channel is a mere shadow of the "Scy-Fy" channel carried it the USA, and it isn't even broadcast in high definition.

 

[Viper550]

I don't really see why having another French language sports specialty channel is a bad idea, cause this is a market that RDS has effectively had a monopoly on. Having some competition is always nice; but the English language side is another story. Every channel is almost required by law to be a carbon copy of eachother!

 

[reidw]

@dances: In fact all you need is one channel. One channel that shows only the shows you want to see. I think you see the problem.

 

[TechieFreak]

All those "sports" stations, and they still show "competition poker".

A&E show back-to-back repeat episodes of CSI Miami or back-to-back repeat episodes of Criminal Minds. Ditto Showcase and Bravo.

Discovery channels show back-to-back episodes of Monster Garage or Deadliest Catch.

What do you really "learn" from TLC? How do decorate a room? What not to wear? Or how to try to make yourself famous by having way too many kids to raise?

I got off the "pay exorbitant prices for crap TV" wagon over a year ago. I now have a UHF antenna on my roof, I get the basic 5 Canadian channels on HD, and I download or stream what I really want to watch... without commercials.

 

[classicsat]

We went into TLC last month, and why it isn't what it was.

And yes, Discovery, as many channels are, are getting to "reality" oriented than those channels should be for what they are supposed to be, or at least were.

Another beef is of mine, mostly seen on the Canwest/Alliance channels, is they show the same few shows on too many of them.

 

[mjjl]

The number of specialty channels available circa 1990 was perfect. Between specialty and conventional channels, I cannot see the need for any cable system to offer more than 35 channels (not including international channels received via satellite). It's too overwhelming today.

 

[Zod]

For me I watch sports online. So TSN/TSN2/Sportsnet/SN2 and my Centre Ice packaged. The truth is I still don't think we needed a sn2. It was lame. They created it to air extra hockey games, but because they were regionally licensed they had to make a 3rd channel to actually air the games, rendering the sn2 channel as completely pointless. They could of just run the regional extra hockey channel.....

Umm I watch scattered shows from the major networks. So NBC/CBS/ABC/FOX would be good. I prefer the eastern feed so I can pvr 'em. Don't need the west feed. CTV is a waste of space, who needs the simsub. CBC has HNIC so I guess I'd want that. Looks like I can live with about 10 channels. Yet I pay for about 25 sd channels and 30-40 hd channels.. lol.