Comments on: Canwest argues for changes to Montreal TV stations http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/05/02/canwest-argues-for-changes-to-montreal-tv-stations/ Can you think of a better name? Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:25:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Fagstein http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/05/02/canwest-argues-for-changes-to-montreal-tv-stations/comment-page-1/#comment-76665 Fagstein Wed, 13 May 2009 02:53:24 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=5293#comment-76665 "Bell, Rogers, and Shaw are making billions from selling CTV and Canwest’s content. How is that fair?" They're not selling CTV and Canwest's content, unless you suppose that people subscribe to cable in order to get local televison stations. "Bell, Rogers, and Shaw are making billions from selling CTV and Canwest’s content. How is that fair?"

They're not selling CTV and Canwest's content, unless you suppose that people subscribe to cable in order to get local televison stations.

]]> By: Heath http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/05/02/canwest-argues-for-changes-to-montreal-tv-stations/comment-page-1/#comment-76630 Heath Tue, 12 May 2009 22:29:20 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=5293#comment-76630 Bell, Rogers, and Shaw are making billions from selling CTV and Canwest's content. How is that fair? As far as I am concerned they are both to blame- broadcasters don't create enough original programming and air the same shows across all the channels they own. Their specialty channels do not have enough quality programming to fill an entire schedule so you end up with repeats throughout. BDU's on the other hand charge an arm and a leg for their service and offer what they want and how they want it (in terms of packaging), consumers come out on the losing end in both cases. To me, the providers and Canadian stations are one and the same, aside from Canwest all other broadcasters own both television channels and cable or satellite companies. Here ya go: Rogers: Rogers Cable / OMNI TV, Citytv Shaw: Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct / Corus Entertainment (specialty channels), local stations Quebecor: Videotron Cable / TVA, specialty channels Bell: Bell TV / CTV & A, specialty channels via minority share in CTVglobemedia See what convergence does, 3 companies pretty much control everything in Canada- distribution and content. I see no distinction between the two so my complaints apply to both. Canwest is the exception but I am sure if they had the chance (perhaps under different ownership) they probably would get in on the game and buy a cable company or launch an IPTV service. Time to break this up and not allow cable/satellite providers (or vice versa) to own broadcasting companies. A good example I can provide is CKRN-TV (SRC), CFEM-TV (TVA) in Rouyn-Noranda, CHOT-TV (TVA) and CFGS-TV (TQS) in Gatineau, and CFVS-TV (TQS) in Val D'Or, all operated by Radio-Nord Communications (now RNC Media). They know their coverage area (Abitibi and Outaouais) and provide local news for all 5 stations in their 2 markets. If the SRC and TVA were operated by SRC and TVA, they would say something like "the news is not big enough for mentionning back in Montreal" and would stay home counting their toes. As for TQS, we know what happened and if Abitibi/Outaouais TQS would be controlled by TQS, these newscast would have been the first to be cut and lay off. I am happy that my cable provider is making me pay for basic service which includes all local stations for free. I would be frustrated to pay local stations via my cable provider since I can get it for free using rabbit ears. The price asked for basic service is plenty enough for them to operate and finance future services, to provide free previews almost every month, to provide content on Video On Demand for free. Back to CanWest... oh yeah, Global Quebec is losing money because everything is controlled from Toronto. CanWest doesn't care about viewers, they don't care about community, but they only care about ratings (which is why they simsub) which results in bigger advertisement revenues. Bell, Rogers, and Shaw are making billions from selling CTV and Canwest's content. How is that fair?

As far as I am concerned they are both to blame- broadcasters don't create enough original programming and air the same shows across all the channels they own. Their specialty channels do not have enough quality programming to fill an entire schedule so you end up with repeats throughout. BDU's on the other hand charge an arm and a leg for their service and offer what they want and how they want it (in terms of packaging), consumers come out on the losing end in both cases.

To me, the providers and Canadian stations are one and the same, aside from Canwest all other broadcasters own both television channels and cable or satellite companies. Here ya go:

Rogers: Rogers Cable / OMNI TV, Citytv

Shaw: Shaw Cable, Shaw Direct / Corus Entertainment (specialty channels), local stations

Quebecor: Videotron Cable / TVA, specialty channels

Bell: Bell TV / CTV & A, specialty channels via minority share in CTVglobemedia

See what convergence does, 3 companies pretty much control everything in Canada- distribution and content. I see no distinction between the two so my complaints apply to both. Canwest is the exception but I am sure if they had the chance (perhaps under different ownership) they probably would get in on the game and buy a cable company or launch an IPTV service. Time to break this up and not allow cable/satellite providers (or vice versa) to own broadcasting companies.

A good example I can provide is CKRN-TV (SRC), CFEM-TV (TVA) in Rouyn-Noranda, CHOT-TV (TVA) and CFGS-TV (TQS) in Gatineau, and CFVS-TV (TQS) in Val D'Or, all operated by Radio-Nord Communications (now RNC Media). They know their coverage area (Abitibi and Outaouais) and provide local news for all 5 stations in their 2 markets.

If the SRC and TVA were operated by SRC and TVA, they would say something like "the news is not big enough for mentionning back in Montreal" and would stay home counting their toes. As for TQS, we know what happened and if Abitibi/Outaouais TQS would be controlled by TQS, these newscast would have been the first to be cut and lay off.

I am happy that my cable provider is making me pay for basic service which includes all local stations for free. I would be frustrated to pay local stations via my cable provider since I can get it for free using rabbit ears. The price asked for basic service is plenty enough for them to operate and finance future services, to provide free previews almost every month, to provide content on Video On Demand for free.

Back to CanWest... oh yeah, Global Quebec is losing money because everything is controlled from Toronto. CanWest doesn't care about viewers, they don't care about community, but they only care about ratings (which is why they simsub) which results in bigger advertisement revenues.

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