[OT] Local TV Matters

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Tue, Oct 06, 2009 at 10:45:45AM -0400, Darryl Moore wrote:
> To hell with the cable companies choice. What about the consumers choice
> not to pay for something they don't want to receive.

Well right now if You wanted to use cable for specialty channels but
an antenna for local stations, there is no way to skip 'basic cable'.
I believe teh CRTC actually makes it mandetory that cable companies must
carry the local stations.  So the consumer has no choice, in part because
the cable company has no choice.

> Frankly the cable companies have been doing the local broadcasters a
> service by ensuring their signals reach 99% of their market area.
> Supposedly they then make more money off of advertising.

Absolutely.  Perhaps if they started showing something people wanted
to see and didn't spend so much money on buying US shows there would be
more money for them.  Try cheaper shows.  Cheap doesn't mean bad.

> This whole thing is the wrong 'solution' to the wrong problem. As far as
> I'm concerned they are welcome to this tax and they should feel free to
> make it as big as they whould like too. It will only hasten their
> demise, which can't happen soon enough.

Certainly.  If the broadcast stations can't stay in business on their
current business model, perhaps some of them should go out of business
and let someone else use that frequency that can run a business.

It sounds like CHCH is doing a complete makeover to a much more locally
focused station (which it used to be many years ago).  Should be a
nice change.  Back when they ran local shows like Smith & Smith's
comedy stuff people actually watched them.  CityTV used to be great,
but I can't honestly remember the last time they were worth watching now.

-- 
Len Sorensen
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