The Southern Ontario/WNY Radio-TV Forum » Is The CRTC Going After The Fireplace & Chicken Roasting Channels?

RadioActive · September 4, 2020 1:10 pm

Just when you thought you'd heard everything, comes this - the CRTC is looking into whether it should change the way it treats "low motion programming." No, that's not the latest episode of TMZ, although sometimes they do go pretty low. According to the Commission, it refers to channels that "consist of extended coverage of an ordinary event or scene with no or limited video editing or camera movement."

In other words, things like the fireplace or the aquarium channel, which essentially act as background wallpaper on your TV set. Without getting too complicated, there are distribution and other rules that apply to certain stations that may not be relevant to others.(A lot of it has to do with how many non-owned channels a cable or satellite system has to carry.) The CRTC notes orders surrounding these things haven't changed in 20 years. So they're asking for comments on whether they should alter anything and if so, what the new regs. should be.

If you take this to extremes, I suppose it could mean the CRTC might actually put down rules applying to things like the infamous Swiss Chalet chicken roasting station that was on a few years back. It consisted of a chicken being roasted over an open fire 24 hours a day.

You might think the Commission would have better things to do with its time, but OK. They're hoping to hear from anyone who wants to comment on how, if at all, the rules surrounding these kinds of things might change.

I, for one, have a suggestion. We have to make sure in future that any poultry that turns on a spit must be Canadian chickens and the wood roaring away in those fireplaces has to come from a Canadian forest. Otherwise, those darn American fowl and tree limbs might just take over everything! And then where would Canadian TV be?

CRTC Call for comments on low-motion programming

Paul Jeffries · September 4, 2020 1:28 pm

Watching a chicken roasting on a spit is poultry in motion.

PJ

RadioActive · September 4, 2020 1:31 pm

And you wouldn't want to run a-fowl of the CRTC.

Media Observer · September 4, 2020 2:17 pm

Paul Jeffries wrote:
Watching a chicken roasting on a spit is poultry in motion.

PJ

It's contagious...LOL

andysradio · September 4, 2020 2:19 pm

Smells fishy to me. I know, weak

Peter the K · September 4, 2020 5:10 pm

I always thought the mandate of the CRTC was to protect the airwaves. Fair enough. I suppose there needs to be some government regulation of this finite and precious resource.

So which over the air channels are these stations occupying?

If they're not broadcasting, as in OTA, then they should just stay out of it.

What a miserable bunch of cluckers.

paterson1 · September 4, 2020 6:56 pm

Well I for one hope that people beak in with their ideas....

To make sure all of these stations stay in the right pecking order..

Otherwise, the CRTC may want to wing it....... and we don't want anything too bird brained.

There are some of course, that would just like to tell the commission to flock off anyway...and stay the hell out of the hen house...

But it is likely better to keep the fowl language to a minimum though...

Who knows where all of this could lead...feathers could be flying, and wings could be clipped..I understand at one hearing, one owner even tried to fly the coup...

RadioActive · September 4, 2020 6:59 pm

I personally doubt the CRTC will do anything. Why? They're too chicken.

paterson1 · September 4, 2020 7:02 pm

Yes, or have some bigger fish to fry...

RadioActive · September 4, 2020 7:06 pm

No, they just don't give a pluck.

paterson1 · September 4, 2020 7:15 pm

Not so sure about that, I once saw a few get roasted and never saw it coming..

RadioActive · September 4, 2020 7:17 pm

That's because you keep egging them on.

RadioActive · September 4, 2020 7:26 pm

OK, last one for me. I'd never got onboard a plane with a chicken.

I'd be too worried about the lay over.

paterson1 · September 4, 2020 7:38 pm

Yes, I think this bird is done... just one more baste..and without feather ado, time to turn out the hen house lights..

mace · September 4, 2020 7:42 pm

In these troubled times, it is nice to see SOWNY members have not lost their sense of humour. Well done!

splunge · September 4, 2020 7:42 pm

this thread has turned into a real turkey. it's got a lot of feathers, but not much chicken. (kim mitchell, "I'm a wild party")

Media Observer · September 4, 2020 7:59 pm

mace wrote:
In these troubled times, it is nice to see SOWNY members have not lost their sense of humour. Well done!

👍👍👍👍

Dale Patterson · September 4, 2020 9:39 pm

Hate to see the Fireplace Channel get watered-down.

Media Observer · September 4, 2020 10:20 pm

Dale Patterson wrote:
Hate to see the Fireplace Channel get watered-down.

...and the trophy goes to....

betaylored · September 5, 2020 12:50 am

CRTC = fustercluck, and this low mo programing channel conundrum seems right about their speed.

Congrats on all the eggcellent quips as once again our big yellow board members prove getting there is half the pun.

Last edited by betaylored (September 5, 2020 12:57 am)

paterson1 · September 5, 2020 10:07 am

Well, I just hope the CRTC doesn't change the Sunset/Sunrise Channel. It's for those of us that don't have a cottage up in the Kawarthas or Muskoka and want to enjoy looking at the lake and those glorious sunsets
.
The ultimate "staycation." Just turn on the TV to channel 299 for your little piece of paradise up north. " Ok kids, gather round, we're going up north..and don't make too much noise..don't want to scare the loons off the lake.. oh it looks like the water is a bit choppy today...."

Ah, life is good...

Radiowiz · September 5, 2020 12:48 pm

It's a good thing there's no squirrel channel because I think this whole thing is NUTS!!

Media Observer · September 5, 2020 2:51 pm

paterson1 wrote:
Well, I just hope the CRTC doesn't change the Sunset/Sunrise Channel. It's for those of us that don't have a cottage up in the Kawarthas or Muskoka and want to enjoy looking at the lake and those glorious sunsets
.
The ultimate "staycation." Just turn on the TV to channel 299 for your little piece of paradise up north. " Ok kids, gather round, we're going up north..and don't make too much noise..don't want to scare the loons off the lake.. oh it looks like the water is a bit choppy today...."

Ah, life is good...

Thank you, sir!

This disappeared from my lineup over a year ago and after waiting a few days. I cursed Rogers and blocked the then "empty" channel from my listings. I'm glad to have it back. It makes for nice background at times.

the original hank · September 6, 2020 11:28 am

35% of the chicken must be canadian.

Media Observer · September 6, 2020 12:08 pm

the original hank wrote:
35% of the chicken must be canadian.