Sal
03-19-2015, 08:35 PM
With more and more TV viewers on both sides of the North American border becoming increasingly dissatisfied with their TV programming options, both in terms of excessive costs and lack of quality programs on network and cable stations, and with more viewers becoming cord-cutters and finding new alternatives to their old channels, Canada's CRTC has introduced sweeping changes to the existing Canadian TV landscape.
Some of those changes have already been announced earlier this year. They will include finally allowing Canadian viewers to see the US commercials that air live during the Super Bowl starting in 2017 and a new definition of the controversial Canadian content rules that has existed since 1971. More information on these rulings can be found in these links, both courtesy of CBC.ca:
US Super Bowl Ads In Canada (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-to-allow-u-s-super-bowl-commercials-starting-in-2017-1.2936096)
New Canadian Content TV Rules (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-eases-canadian-content-quotas-for-tv-1.2992132)
Today came the biggest news of all. Within the space of a year and a half from now, Canada's major cable companies (Rogers, Bell, Shaw) will be required to offer their customers a totally new programming package and structure which will feature a new "skinny basic" group of local stations, major networks, and an option to add US networks which cannot exceed $25 on the cable bill. The various specialty and digital channels will then be added as part of a "pick and pay" or "a la carte" model. That means that you can finally choose which channels you want to watch without having to pay for the ones you don't. This has been something that has been in the works for some time now but soon it will become reality, and I for one say it's about time! The new basic cable $25 package is supposed to be done by March 2016 while the full pick and pay rules will be in place by December 2016. All in all, this looks to be a clear victory for the Canadian viewers:
New basic cable and pick and pay rules (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-rules-cable-companies-must-offer-pick-and-pay-channels-25-basic-package-1.3001370)
Some of those changes have already been announced earlier this year. They will include finally allowing Canadian viewers to see the US commercials that air live during the Super Bowl starting in 2017 and a new definition of the controversial Canadian content rules that has existed since 1971. More information on these rulings can be found in these links, both courtesy of CBC.ca:
US Super Bowl Ads In Canada (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-to-allow-u-s-super-bowl-commercials-starting-in-2017-1.2936096)
New Canadian Content TV Rules (http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-eases-canadian-content-quotas-for-tv-1.2992132)
Today came the biggest news of all. Within the space of a year and a half from now, Canada's major cable companies (Rogers, Bell, Shaw) will be required to offer their customers a totally new programming package and structure which will feature a new "skinny basic" group of local stations, major networks, and an option to add US networks which cannot exceed $25 on the cable bill. The various specialty and digital channels will then be added as part of a "pick and pay" or "a la carte" model. That means that you can finally choose which channels you want to watch without having to pay for the ones you don't. This has been something that has been in the works for some time now but soon it will become reality, and I for one say it's about time! The new basic cable $25 package is supposed to be done by March 2016 while the full pick and pay rules will be in place by December 2016. All in all, this looks to be a clear victory for the Canadian viewers:
New basic cable and pick and pay rules (http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-rules-cable-companies-must-offer-pick-and-pay-channels-25-basic-package-1.3001370)