Possible End of OTA in Canada

[Kraven]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/pick-and-pay-cable-should-be-an-option-in-canada-says-crtc-1.2743406

CRTC is put a plan on the table to possible allow TV stations to cease their OTA transmitters.

"
At the same time, the regulator proposes allowing local TV stations to shut down their transmitters — a move that might not sit well with consumers who prefer to get their TV programming over the air.

"It's an idea that we want to explore," said Blais, who stressed that the proposal is open for debate.

Roughly eight per cent of Canadian TV viewers get their content using antennas, without paying a service provider to deliver programming."

Will be following this very closely.

Cheers, K

 

[Kraven]

Besides paying ridiculous amounts for cable/satellite here...the stations are crying their broke despite spending billions in sports programming and marketing.
IE- If your poor, why invest 50million in naming a stupid ice rink instead ? (BELL). Rogers spend 5.3 billion for the NHL rights for 12 years.

 

[jorgek]

Hope it doesn't happen. What a rediculous idea. I wonder who is behind the move to force Canadians to have to pay to watch free TV. A lot of us who live next to the US border will still be able to watch OTA. Perhaps CRTC will figure out a way to prevent that as well?

 

[Kraven]

Rogers and Bell practically run the country in terms of telecom. Am kinda surprised their pushing for this to "improve consumer experience" because without local free tv, the commercialw sim-sub rules are out the window (which probably generates more than the 10% of Canadians who are on OTA).

Looks like I'll be taking out my trusty type writer and get involved w/ this debate with the CRTC

 

[jorgek]

Isn't capitalism great? I suspect free TV will in the future disappear. User pay will prevail.

 

[DJdish]

Sounds like it´s all about the money,

 

[FaT Air]

Yeah, puttin' the money, out of yours, into theirs (pockets).

 

[Mr Tony]

Roughly eight per cent of Canadian TV viewers get their content using antennas, without paying a service provider to deliver programming."

But once you get out of the "Big 3" cities (Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto) what would be the amount
I know CKPR in Thunder Bay (CBC affiliate) is switching to CTV on Sept 1 (sister station CHFD is already Global affiliate) and in the CRTC filing to disaffiliate from the CBC they said "less than 2%" of TB folks use OTA"
CBC Radio reported in May that CBC-TV doesn't plan to establish a new station in Thunder Bay since only about two percent of the market uses over-the-air signal.

 

[navychop]

So if they cut back Canadian OTA, folks will just watch more US OTA. Isn't a large majority of Canadian residents within 100 miles of the border


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App using an iPhone.

 

[mike123abc]

Given Canada's size and population density, it would probably be much more cost effective to just make the networks FTA and send them down via satellite. That way they could get nationwide coverage. Of course some pesky Americans with FTA boxes may pick up that sat signal...

 

[Cham]

Pretty difficult to have OTA viewers in areas not covered by current broadcast signals. There were many receiving OTA signals until the analog transmitters went dark in many areas that did not switch over to digital. Many small towns and cities are without any OTA signals now. Only the major centers have digital OTA broadcasting where it competes with cheap basic cable etc... Hence the low OTA viewer percentages.

In my rural area I am fortunate to be close enough to the local major center to pick up all the local digital OTA stations, plus many from the northern US. I have reletives in western Manitoba that have no OTA reception now at all... I've been there with a good antenna and there's nothing... The only way for them to watch any kind of TV is to go with DBS satellite (or FTA, much too complex for them). Same goes with internet services, satellite only. Thousands of people in this province in the same situation... Guess that's progress...

 

[Kraven]

So if they cut back Canadian OTA, folks will just watch more US OTA. Isn't a large majority of Canadian residents within 100 miles of the border


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App using an iPhone.

IIRC, 90% of the Canadian population is within 100km (60 miles) of the border. Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Fredericton alone are practically a stone's throw away.

 

[navychop]

So, lots of US OTA if Canadian OTA goes away.


Posted Via The FREE SatelliteGuys Reader App using an iPhone.

 

[CK SatGuy]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/pick-and-pay-cable-should-be-an-option-in-canada-says-crtc-1.2743406

CRTC is put a plan on the table to possible allow TV stations to cease their OTA transmitters.

"
At the same time, the regulator proposes allowing local TV stations to shut down their transmitters — a move that might not sit well with consumers who prefer to get their TV programming over the air.

"It's an idea that we want to explore," said Blais, who stressed that the proposal is open for debate.

Roughly eight per cent of Canadian TV viewers get their content using antennas, without paying a service provider to deliver programming."

Will be following this very closely.

Cheers, K

FYI, the CBC wants this too. The CRTC will have their "Let's Talk TV" public hearing in September. The CBC was required to submit comments on the whole Canadian TV system to the CRTC and the comments are on their corporate website in a PDF file for everyone to see. http://www.cbc.radio-canada.ca/_files/cbcrc/documents/submissions/policy-review.pdf

I find their comments on the future of OTA distribution the most interesting and disturbing:

The Future of OTA Distribution
33. Given the costs of transmission and the availability and prevalence of BDU delivery, OTA transmission is no longer a cost efficient way of delivering programming in many locations and should no longer be a pre-requisite for the general licensed operation of conventional television stations in Canada. As the Commission has noted in BNC CRTC 2014-190, OTA viewing is now very low: in fact nationally it is only 5%, according to the latest Media Technology Monitor (MTM, Spring 2014). This is therefore neither an efficient nor a popular delivery mechanism. Yet delivery by over-the-air technology continues to define the licensing of conventional television broadcasters, and to define, through the operation of the Copyright Act, the financing that is available to these undertakings.

34. A far more efficient delivery mechanism (i.e. direct feeds to BDUs) is widely available and in use in practically all markets within Canada.

35. Given these realities, the Corporation submits that the current licensing regime for conventional television should be modified to permit conventional television broadcasters to operate without relying on OTA transmission, if they so choose. Specifically, a licensed conventional television service would be subject to the same regulatory obligations and serve the same geographic areas as are currently applicable but would not be required to operate an OTA transmitter in order to retain its licence. Any applicants for a new licence to serve a market would be required to define a proposed geographic service area (e.g. a municipal boundary) which would be subject to scrutiny by the Commission.

Financing Local Television
36 CBC/Radio-Canada has three proposals regarding the financing of local television services.

37 First, as noted above, with the elimination of the requirement of OTA transmission for the licensing of conventional broadcasters, those conventional television stations that chose not to operate OTA transmission systems would no longer come within section 31 of the Copyright Act. This means they would be entitled to affiliation fees from BDUs on the same legal basis as other licensed services.

38 The Commission should support this legal reality by ensuring that these stations enjoy the same regulatory protections as other licensed services in respect of negotiations with BDUs. This approach would improve the business model of conventional television broadcasters by giving them access to affiliation fees, and in turn, help these broadcasters finance their Canadian programming obligations.

39 Second, given the specific and unique financial challenges facing conventional television stations in the offering of local television programming, and the high importance Canadians place on local television news, it is essential that a new funding mechanism be created to support local news programming.

So basically, the CBC wants to make OTA broadcasting optional instead of a requirement and they want to start collecting affiliation fees from the TV providers which would cause cable prices to go higher.

 

[jorgek]

I guess to its all about having a choice. Under this proposal its pay or get nothing! As long as Canadian tax payers are subsidizing CBC then it should be free and easily obtainable.

 

[Kraven]

Exactly...

 

[Cham]

CBC spent umpteen millions of our dollars moving, switching, updating their broadcast facilities for the digital transition in the major centers, and now they want to dump the whole broadcast system? Someone running things at CBC really needs to be fired.

 

[CK SatGuy]

CBC spent umpteen millions of our dollars moving, switching, updating their broadcast facilities for the digital transition in the major centers, and now they want to dump the whole broadcast system? Someone running things at CBC really needs to be fired.

I agree. The problem is that they're stuck between a rock and a hard place with all the budget cuts they've had to deal with.

 

[jorgek]

Apparently 15% of Canadians do not have access to cable or internet. I bet some of them depend on OTA.

Then CRTC will figure out a way to do the same to free AM/FM radio.

 

[mike123abc]

Wow that is a really bad proposal... Forcing the cable/satellite companies to carry the programming and charge them fees and not having to do OTA... US broadcasters would love that arrangement, and I bet they hope it happens so they can use it as an example for the US.