Dan Abel wrote:
>
>> They are satellite systems and they are playing the same games as the
>> cable companies. They bundle channels in a way that you get one or two
>> good channels and a bunch of crap. They have a habit of splitting the
>> good channels up so that you have to get 2 or 3 other bundles in order
>> to get those same good channels and fill the bundles with crap channels
>> you never watch.
>
> Despite the big difference in technology, I see the business models for
> cable and dish as being similar. It does appear, though, that the
> business models for dish in Canada are different than the US. I don't
> see many single channels offered, or a lot of separate bundles.

I have some appreciation for the argument that the both the cable and
satellite signal providers profit from carrying the network signals.
However, they are providing the technology that provides signals to
people who might otherwise not get them. Living in the Niagara peninsula
I am closer to a number of American broadcasters than Canadian sources,
and living on the back side of the escarpment, signals from Toronto and
Hamilton are partially blocked. I would have extremely limited viewing
without satellite, and no cable on this road.

One particular Canadian broadcaster is lobbying for the government to
charge the satellite a fee to carry their signal. Those guys are selling
advertising to pay for their programming and supposedly providing an
audience for the ads. That is how TV broadcasting worked for years. They
air programs to attract an audience. That does them no good if I can't
get their signal. Some of the same programs carried by the Canadian
companies are also on the American stations. I can see them better on
American channels, so the Canadian advertisers don't get their ads to me.

Since broadcasting is federally regulated, the signal providers must
have the Canadian stations in their basic package. The way I see it is
that the networks benefit from having their signals carried by signal
providers. They should be thanking the cable and satellite companies for
providing their signal to a wider audience.


I just looked at my providers packages. There is no getting away from
the basic package, which includes time shift on the Canadian networks
and all the American networks, but a smaller selection of them. Instead
of PBS out of Buffalo I get the Boston version.

There are various packages available which over various numbers of
bundles and movies. You can order individual bundles for $4.99 per month
or individual stations for as low as 99 cents per month.


All this discussion is making me think about changing my package. There
is very little worth watching on the Food Network. The history channel
has more movies and crime stories than history. The military channel
runs about a dozen programs per month and simply rotates the days and
times they are shown.