Mandatory basic TV packages

[Mike Cleaver]

Most people who already have Shaw cable have the necessary boxes.
We have two, one including a pvr, both of them free through various Shaw "deals" in the past.
In the so called "basic" package, it asks if you already have Shaw equipment.
If you check that box, the switchover is done from the office and no one needs to come to your home and there's no equipment rental or purchase required, unless you're already renting the equipment from Shaw.

[jon]

Bell’s TV Starter package is now only $25 — but will anyone want it?
Spartan package mandated by the CRTC includes 10 French channels, weather and the Queen’s Park feed, but no U.S. channels.
By: Christopher Reynolds Staff Reporter
Toronto Star
Published on Sun Feb 28 2016

Can’t wait to binge on the latest season of Ontario Legislative Assembly? Desperate to get your fix of V, replete with francophone dramas and reality shows?

Never so much as raised an antenna to these channels? Bell TV might be thinking otherwise.

The Montreal-based telecom quietly unveiled its low-cost “Starter” TV package Sunday, primed to start piping out legislative action and local and French-language programming in keeping with the letter of new CRTC requirements.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has demanded that cable and satellite service providers offer a slimmed-down package for $25 or less by March 1, with a range of pick-and-pay channels to top it up.

But experts say Bell’s stripped-down deal — devoid of U.S. channels — seems to veer further from the spirit of the new regulations than other carriers and changes little for most consumers, despite the CRTC’s aim “to give Canadians more choice.”

That choice is “things that we’ve never heard of,” said Dwayne Winseck, a professor at Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication.

Winseck noted the absence of American broadcast stalwarts like ABC, NBC and CBS, included in basic Canadian TV packages for decades.

“They’re working to give it a stillbirth,” he said of the roll-out, calling it “retrograde,” “begrudging” and “behind 1970s standards.”

Last year, the CRTC laid out requirements — effective Tuesday — for a “skinny basic” package that features predominantly local and regional programming as an alternative to “big, unwieldy and expensive” bundles, CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais said last March.

The basic grouping must include those on CRTC’s mandatory distribution list, like CBC, CTV and Global, as well as public interest stations such as CPAC and minority French- or English-language channels.

It may also include affiliates of U.S. networks, though their inclusion is not mandated. Pick-and-pay for stand-alone channels must be available later this year.

The cable TV deals put forward by Bell, Rogers and other carriers may not set off a stampede toward the “starter” packages. But they might hook a small group of customers who might not have subscribed at all, “or might have cut the cord but now will hang on a little longer,” says technology analyst Carmi Levy.

“The CRTC asked for ‘skinny basic,’ and skinny is exactly what consumers are going to get,” Levy said. “If you’re hoping for a screaming deal on a premium specialty channel like HBO, you will be sadly disappointed.”

Bell’s entry-level package, posted online without fanfare two days before deadline, costs $24.95 per month. It counts the Weather Network, TVO and 10 francophone channels among its 26 offerings, according to the Bell website.

Extra à la carte channels for $4 or $7 range from TSN to Discovery and CNN. Like other Bell cable packages, the Starter kit requires a Bell Internet subscription, starting at $64.95 per month, plus $15 monthly for PVR rental.

Bundling discounts or other “sweetener” deals do not appear on offer, making it less attractive to customers like Larry Pinard.

The 62-year-old Etobicoke resident currently shells out $194 per month for Bell’s low-end TV package bundled with high-speed Internet and long distance.

Pinard said it was “outrageous” to tack on $7 each for channels like CNN on top of the Starter package. “If you start adding that up, it’s just crazy.”

“Our new TV Starter offering is for customers who want to either create their own package by selecting channels and packs individually or just have a basic TV service,” Bell spokesperson Jacqueline Michelis told the Star in an email Sunday.

“Bell TV packages all comply with CRTC rules.”

Toronto-based Rogers Communications said last week it will offer customers the entry-level service for $24.99 per month (plus digital box rental or purchase). The basic plan also includes U.S. channels such as Fox, NBC and PBS, unlike Bell.

Small Internet-based TV service VMedia of Toronto has already unveiled a package priced well under the CRTC cap that includes the mandatory Canadian channels plus five American networks.

Calgary-based Shaw Communications on its website now offers a Limited TV plan for $25 per month with 40 channels, including major U.S. networks like ABC and Fox.

Sales staff at Bell and Rogers were recently instructed to downplay the Spartan packages, with virtually no advertising, CBC News has reported.

CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais has said the spirit of the CRTC decision ought to be respected, citing an “obligation to promote” the basic service.

If the CRTC deems some companies to be disregarding the intent of the decision, the regulator will take action against them, he added.

Levy noted that carriers must walk a fine line between meeting the CRTC’s requirements and maintaining a viable business model in a period of intense, Internet-driven change.

“I don’t think anyone expected miracles here. I don’t think it’s fair to fault anyone,” he said.

“There is no free lunch in entertainment.”

With files from Michael Lewis and The Canadian Press.

[jon]

TELUS introduced a LITE package today, for $20/month when you have other services, $25 if you don't, not including hardware.

No U.S. channels included. $7 as an add-on.

http://www.telus.com/en/bc/tv/new/plans/#/landing

Their much larger Essentials package costs $15 for the first six months on a two year contract, $33 after that, when you have other TELUS services.

[Aaron]

That's hilarious...they way they've got it on the site, if you eyeball it quickly you can have 66 channels for $15 or 25 channels for $20 (The CRTC package). Hmmm...which is going to get clicked?

[xwdcatvb]

TELUS introduced a LITE package today, for $20/month when you have other services, $25 if you don't, not including hardware.

No U.S. channels included. $7 as an add-on.

http://www.telus.com/en/bc/tv/new/plans/#/landing

Their much larger Essentials package costs $15 for the first six months on a two year contract, $33 after that, when you have other TELUS services.

Well, my Essentials' package in Burnaby remains at $30 plus GST, yadda, yadda. Bundled. Including hardware.

But it'll be interesting to see whether the BC sales tax regime gets applied to the difference between LITE and Essentials...

[kal]

Anyone happen to have the Telus "lite" channel lineup in text format?

[kal]

Table comparing the Shaw and Telus $25 TV packages for the Vancouver and BC market.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1y2fovDVAosRJ9FRu72tznovaDzBhS6Fzjo6bIptWOR0/edit?usp=sharing

[kal]

Anecdotal evidence suggests uptake of basic TV package, at least for Shaw's Limited TV, is significant. Heard from a person this evening who made the switch after reading newspaper piece on "skinny" TV. Says Shaw agent told her that demand was high. This switcher elected to add CNN to the basic lineup, increasing the bill to $29. She says that was considerably lower than the $65 she was paying up until today.

[xwdcatvb]

TELUS introduced a LITE package today, for $20/month when you have other services, $25 if you don't, not including hardware.

No U.S. channels included. $7 as an add-on.

http://www.telus.com/en/bc/tv/new/plans/#/landing

Their much larger Essentials package costs $15 for the first six months on a two year contract, $33 after that, when you have other TELUS services.

Well, my Essentials' package in Burnaby remains at $30 plus GST, yadda, yadda. Bundled. Including hardware.

But it'll be interesting to see whether the BC sales tax regime gets applied to the difference between LITE and Essentials...

Well, went searching for my Telus statement ASAP tonight.

My 'Essentials' went up $3/month as of the 21 March billing date. There's a note about a change in the PST as a result of the 'basic package'.

Consequently, the calculations are a pig's breakfast. .. but I can roughly reconcile that 7% PST has been back-added on the pro-rated difference between $25 and my old $30 Essentials to 20 March from Feb's bill, and on the whole upcoming month's $8 overage above $25.

[kal]

Interesting twist to the mandatory basic TV packages.

This is a twist for Rogers customers so it doesn't apply here in the west, but the underlying tone certainly does: the telcos are not happy to have to offer these plans.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-skinny-basic-tv-1.3527766?cmp=rss

[jon]

New, trimmed-down TV packages proving popular for many, says CRTC
The Canadian Press
04.14.2016

GATINEAU, Que. - The country's broadcast regulator says tens of thousands of Canadians have either signed up for the first time or switched to the recently mandated skinny-basic TV packages.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission says more than 66,000 consumers have signed up to the new basic TV packages in the five weeks since cable and satellite service providers were required to offer them.

As well, the CRTC says more than one in three TV service subscribers have opted to buy individual channels, small packages or both.

Service providers including Bell, Rogers, Shaw and Cogeco began offering the new basic packages as of March 1 under new rules that cap the cost of service at $25 per month.

The CRTC also required service providers to offer either individual "pick and pay" channels or small bundles of no more than 10 channels.

Some consumers have complained about the new basic packages, even characterizing them as a "ripoff," because service providers take away bundling and other discounts offered with more expensive service options.

Many of the carriers also charge connection and cable box fees in addition to the $25 monthly charge, even as they often waive those same fees for their higher-cost bundled services.

As well, a handful of companies include U.S. TV network channels as part of their slimmed-down basic packages while others do not.

The CRTC said the subscription figures were provided by the carriers, which also include Access Communications, Eastlink, MTS, SaskTel, Shaw Communications, Telus and Videotron.

The service providers will be required to offer full pick-and-pay starting December 1.

[kal]

Note that News1130 today carried this story with an entirely different spin ... calculating the number signing on to skinny TV as a percentage of overall subscribers and reporting this as a minuscule 2% or so.

[jon]

Broadcast Dialogue summed it up pretty nicely in this morning's issue:

The CRTC says that five weeks in, more than 66,000 Canadians signed-up for the new basic television package.
If all them were already TV customers, that would mean 0.57% of Canada’s 11.49 million Canadian households
have subscribed to the “skinny basic” service. An Angus Reid Institute poll suggests that most respondents
found the new $25 basic package unappealing, with 68% saying the new basic plans aren't worthwhile because
of the extra costs often added to the packages (from TV box rentals to added pick-and-pay channels)...

[kal]

Decided to test both Shaw and Telus outlets on "skinny" TV.

These outlets were located in Surrey's Guildford Town Centre mall. The Shaw outlet is a physical store front. The Telus outlet was a temporary popup.

The Shaw person was very accommodating and did nothing to dissuade me from considering their Limited TV offering. A paper handout clearly set out the various plans offered by Shaw. I indicated that I'd like to have CNN added to the $25 plan. I was shown News Bundle #2, a $6 add-on that also added BBC and a few other stations. The agent helpfully noted that come December 1 a la carte pricing would come into effect and although pricing wasn't formalized yet she expected it to be in the $2/channel range.

By contrast a visit to the Telus Optik TV popup store was rather frustrating. The agent did everything to stall me from seeing details on their Lite package. In fact there is nothing in print about this package. The agent repeatedly spoke of another plan as being their "limited" plan, which of course it wasn't. When I asked if there was anything in print on the $25 package I was amazed that (a) he had to bring up a display on his phone and then (b) showed me an email from a superior which stated there were to be no printed brochures identifying the Lite package.

Telus is clearly digging in its heels on the $25 plan. Shaw has clearly accepted the new rule from the CRTC.

I've been looking at the Shaw "skinny" feed at a relative's home. All the promised channels are in place. Most interesting is that there appear to be other channels that aren't listed as being in the package (e.g. The Shopping Channel, Frame).

[kal]

When you are next in your favourite mall try asking a Telus Optik TV rep (the usually have a popup booth somewhere near the centre of the mall) for a brochure on the company's limited TV package. It can be quite entertaining. You might get an outright denial that there is such a thing, you might get disparaging remarks about such a plan, you might be told about and entirely different plan, but you won't get a brochure. If you really press you might be shown a lineup on a phone but you won't get anything in print. Clearly Telus is fighting this mandated plan any way it can.

Good to see that big telecoms today lost their appeal to the Federal Cabinet of a decision ordering them to open up their fibre networks to smaller players.