[bigoranget]

Shaw Direct will be terminating the following Radio signals on May 2nd

CBU FM (CBC Radio One) Vancouver)
CKZZ FM Vancouver
CIOC FM Victoria
CFRO FM Vancouver
CHQM FM Vancouver
CBUF FM Vancouver

Also reminder that Shaw Direct will also be terminated 3x SD PPV channels on the same day.

 

[JCM]

Why? More specifically - why all the Vancouver stations?

 

[LONSat]

It would tie in with the potential removal of Western Feeds of specialty channels History etc. For radio they can be received locally over the air in the Vancouver market and Shaw cable can deliver them for anyone who might them from a BDU, assuming Shaw Cable offers some sort of FM or digital box equivalent. Eastern feeds of the specialties can can be PVRed for western subscribers besides the eastern feeds often repeat prime time programming offset for the Pacific time zone. Shaw Cable again would offer local subscribers the western feeds. Capacity and geography combined with technology (PVR) I would assume are making SD look at how best to serve their clients.

 

[JCM]

Shaw cable is not available where I live nor in southern USA when we are south for the winter. I have been using Shaw Direct over the winter and was thinking of changing from Bell for my house but with the poor hardware and cutting the programing I liked - why bother?

 

[Jimsathome]

I'm surprised at this move too.

I would think SD market growth is in areas not served by Cable companies (theirs or others); so the logic of cutting Radio because a local market can catch it OTA doesn't follow.

We have the Home & Away (at the Cabin) and one of the things my Mother really likes is the Radio feeds. You can't get any radio stations there except one AM station and the Vancouver Stations are her treat.

 

[kcowan]

We are in the habit of using the radio feeds because it is easier than switching over to the stereo plus we can play them in the living room and bedroom simultaneously. I wonder if they know what they are doing? I use them a lot more than their specialty channels. And then there is Home Away...

 

[PlayitSimple]

Here's a novel idea, why don't they conduct a survey to see how many listen to these stations and how many want them to remain instead of just getting rid of them at will?! I say they should keep the stations that air live sports, CBC Radio (English & French) from Toronto and Vancouver as well the top music station in each of the major markets (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal & Halifax).

Also, why are these stations not included with the basic service like Bell & Rogers offer them?! We are talknig about friggin' OTA commecial radio stations here not specialty services like Sirius XM- why do you have to pay extra for these?!

I wonder what else they plan on getting rid of?!

 

[smp01]

I know I listen to many of the radio stations, all out of market.

I would think this is one area you could really dial down the bitrate and still have acceptable quality. I mean radio for the most part is for info, not fidelity.

Maybe there is a minimum bitrate on the headends that is well above what is required for radio so they cannot go any lower regardless.

I am on Ont value package and they have taken away the Spokane radio stations, which I used to listen to quite a bit. I've called and called, but nothing has changed and they cannot seem to add them back without removing me from the Ont value package. I can't believe it is a question of economics, must be an oversight and I just have not got my message through to the proper people.

 

[JCM]

It sadly sounds like they are getting Bell- ized and are sucking up to the East of Canada and forgetting the West.

 

[stecle]

How much will Shawdirect be lowering our bill now that we are receiving less programming?

 

[JCM]

They might charge a "digital fee" like Bell - just to remove them.

 

[DP Ames]

It's the arbitrariness of these changes that bothers more than anything else. SD keeps making changes to our packages and our pricing without consultation and without notice, and they meet all objections with bland assurances that they are optimizing our value. Well, they may be optimizing their value, but it certainly doesn't appear that they are optimizing their customers' value. This must be the only service industry that gets away with this type of thing. Suppose you had a lawn and garden service, and each week they dropped something new on you ("this week we decided to stop trimming the edges, and we don't remove the bags of garden waste any more"), and raised the price? How long would you be using them?

 

[stecle]

They get away with it due to the lack of real competition (and the fact that the existing competition is no better or maybe worse). There is also the hassle of getting a new provider installed. I also believe that most people are very passive and disengaged when it comes to their TV programming delivery. They push a button and as long as "dancing with the stars" is there, they are happy.

If you think its bad now, back in the day cable was the only game in town, unless you had a few thousand for a BUD. People have long memories and are still pissed about the way that the cable monopoly treated them back in the day.

 

[JCM]

They are gone as of today. I called in and the reception was positive. "If more people call in we might reinstate them (I like CHQM). As for now we are using the space for more chanels".