Mandatory basic TV packages

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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby kal » Wed Feb 17, 2016 7:32 pm

Today the CRTC slammed the major cable TV providers for not promoting, or even announcing, their mandatory "skinny" or basic TV packages at $25.

Apparently Shaw has today posted its lineup for the $25 package but I've not yet found it.

This is shaping up to be a bit of a battle, on numerous fronts, especially as cord-cutting takes hold, not to mention the phenomenon of never-cording, especially by millennials.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby jon » Wed Feb 17, 2016 8:10 pm

Well, it is there now:
http://www.shaw.ca/television/plans/
and scroll down a bit.

It is called Limited TV:
Up to 13 HD channels
Up to 27 SD channels
HD Equipment not included
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby PMC » Wed Feb 17, 2016 9:44 pm

same old, same old LOL Shaw marketing calls me weekly... the machine grabs it.

When they lower my current bill the $41 that is/has been added to it, in the past year, then I will consider tv. I dumped the tv when they raised the fees. The phone goes next, and the internet is last. I have a budget, and when the com cost goes over, I cut the service.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby serrebi » Thu Feb 18, 2016 12:58 pm

From what I've gathered, they've removed the CW from the skinny package. Can someone confirm? If so I'm so out of even wanting cable. Either give me all the over the air networks that are in my time zone, or I will just use ustvnow.com since it's around the same price and look at the value! Also middle America ads are so funny sometimes.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby jon » Thu Feb 18, 2016 1:24 pm

Click here to see the current list of channels you would get if you lived in Vancouver and chose Shaw Limited TV:
http://radiowest.ca/shaw/shaw2016.html
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby serrebi » Thu Feb 18, 2016 2:41 pm

jon wrote:Click here to see the current list of channels you would get if you lived in Vancouver and chose Shaw Limited TV:
http://radiowest.ca/shaw/shaw2016.html

Thanks for this.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby kal » Thu Feb 18, 2016 11:07 pm

Here's the Shaw lineup in a different form. Unless otherwise specified the feed is SD. As you'll notice, many of the channels have both SD and HD feeds. Shaw is billing these as different channels and saying that Limited TV (their name for this mandatory service) comes with 40 channels. Reality is that it is more like 25 (different) channels. This list is my own making; there may be errors.

Vancouver channels:
CBC (SD, HD)
Knowledge (SD, HD)
CTV 9 (SD, HD)
Shaw Community
Shaw Multicultural
Omni (SD, HD)
Global (SD, HD)
Joytv
CityTV (SD, HD)


Victoria channels:
CHEK (SD, HD)
CTV Two (SD, HD)

Specialty channels:
APTN (SD, HD)
BC legislature
CPAC
Weather (HD)

French channels:
CBC French
RDI
TVA
TV5
CPAC

American channels:
ABC KOMO (SD, HD)
CBS KIRO (SD, HD)
NBC KING (SD, HD)
FOX KCPQ (SD, HD)
PBS KCTS (SD, HD)
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby tuned » Fri Feb 19, 2016 10:51 am

12 HD channels worth watching. It's not a bad deal for 25 bucks if you own your own HD box. If I could add some US and Canadian news channels for another five bucks or so I'd be happy. Hmmm...right now I'm paying them 70 bucks.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby jon » Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:17 am

You can add a Large News Theme Pack to that.

1. CBC CTV BC1
2. BBC World News, CNN, MSNBC, HLN, i Channel
3. BNN, CNBC, Fox News, Bloomberg TV Canada, LGN

$6 for one, $10 for two and $15 for all three.
ref. - http://www.shaw.ca/television/channels/theme-packs/
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby jon » Fri Feb 19, 2016 11:19 am

On a related B.C. note, this Notice from Shaw:

Notice
January 13, 2016,

Customers in British Columbia are provided a PST tax exemption for Cable TV services. This exemption is based on the minimum level of television service available for purchase; customers are responsible for paying PST for the portion of their bill exceeding this amount. Currently, the minimum level of TV service available from Shaw is priced is $41.00/mo.

As of February 16, 2016, the minimum level of TV service offered to customers in BC is “Limited TV” – the package mandated by the CRTC and priced at $25.00/mo. As this will be the basis of the PST exemption for BC Cable TV customers moving forward, the billed amount of PST on your invoice will increase.

ref. - https://community.shaw.ca/docs/DOC-6542
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby kal » Sat Feb 20, 2016 12:12 am

Thanks for those two additions Jon. Didn't know about the tax issue. The theme packs are interesting as well. This space can only heat up.

On a somewhat related matter, here's an update on Sling TV down in The States:

http://www.wsj.com/article_email/dish-networks-sling-tv-has-more-than-600-000-subscribers-1455825689-lMyQjAxMTA2NTE2ODYxMjg5Wj

Cord cutting, never-cording and skinny TV. Buzzwords for the next little while.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby kal » Wed Feb 24, 2016 3:16 pm

Seems that Shaw's Limited TV may have gone live a week early. I've had one report of a person switching over today.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby jon » Wed Feb 24, 2016 4:30 pm

I'm sure it was no coincidence that I got a phone call last night from Shaw, offering me TV to add on to my phone and Internet, for just $20 more per month.

I wasn't interested, so never determined for sure, but my guess is that it was Personal TV for the introductory term. And a big increase after that.

Cleverly done though, as the caller was carefully reviewing my recent changes to my account, all the way down to the hitron wireless router I picked up from them (rental for $0 a month) to replace my older technology unit. About 2 months ago.

As I said in a previous post, I'm sure the strategy is to try and head off the uptake of the CRTC-mandated $25 offering ("Limited TV") by getting customers interested, in advance, in something better.

And, just looking at telus.com, no sign of a TELUS $25 offering.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby mccrady » Wed Feb 24, 2016 5:38 pm

And, just looking at telus.com, no sign of a TELUS $25 offering.


They're probably flogging theirs by calling customers directly. About a month after I got my fiber internet connection (love it!) my phone system bounced a couple of calls from a 1-8xx number ID'd as telus.
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Re: Mandatory basic TV packages

Postby kal » Wed Feb 24, 2016 10:55 pm

CBC Radio ran a piece on this tonight. Their story tied the spate of layoffs at Bell and Rogers, along with the reorganization at Shaw to the two big changes in TV delivery set for this year, the other being pick and pay come December 1.

I've run across three people so far, two millennials, the other just retired, who will be switching to the $25 package.

I'd like to know more about the fibre connection mentioned in the post above. Where, and how much? And what is the bandwidth (up and down)?
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