1 of 1- RadioActive
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Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
The Canadian Press looks ahead to March 1, 2016 and the introduction of a new way of paying for cable/satellite TV, with an emphasis on which channels will flourish - and which ones could go dark.
Ready for pick-and-pay with TV channels? Who wins, who loses
- Radiowiz
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
One word: Rebrand.
Instead of shutting down the not so successful channels, watch Bell & Others try rebranding to trick us into believing that's what we want to watch based on channel name alone.
(plus, when something appears to be new, it sparks interest...)
Last edited by Radiowiz (December 28, 2015 1:35 pm)
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- ig
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
I wonder if French channels will have to be part of the 'bundle' still. I could check, but I'm not going to.
To be honest, I'm one of the cable companies best options. Give me everything at a reasonable price, which I'm pretty comfortable with now, and I'm fine with it. I don't want to go in and pick and choose, and I'm guessing, possibly naively that the majority will do the same. I believe the people who complain loudest about the pricing are a vocal minority.
I'm currently on the VIP package for somewhere around $70 a month that gives me everything. It includes HBO. Dunno about the 'movie' channels, since I wouldn't watch them anyway.
It kind of reminds me of the joke about 72 virgins waiting in heaven. Nobody has ever specified how old, or what they look like. If each individual channel is $5 a month, I'd currently max out at 14, instead of the 365+ that are currently in the bundle.
Let me pay for real extra channels I would like to watch, live BBC-1 or ITV, or I'd gladly pay $9.95 a month for the CP24 news PIP, rather than get all the crap around it for free. Even a hi-res traffic camera tour, one for each of the major highways in a package would be worth a couple of $$ a month. That's the outside thinking that will make money.
Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
ig wrote:
I wonder if French channels will have to be part of the 'bundle' still.
CBC French will most likely be a given, possibly TVO french as well (or any french educational channel where TVO french is not available)
That would be the basics...
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- RadioActive
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
Another take on this, with some of the changes in the works for a few services:
Canada's Great Cable Unbundling: What's Ahead in 2016
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Thread Starter- Old Codger
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
Success will be governed at least in part by the channels formerly run by talented TV people. They'll have at the very least a partial foundation of a positive track record to bring to the table and to include with the channel's lineup of shows. Reality shyte? Not so much.
Poor choices made by these new-age executives will spell disaster especially if these wannabee's have been around for 1/2 a decade or so. They'll have killed the momentum and pee'd on the foundation of what might have formerly been seen as success.
I'd guess that close to half the choices will be ignored. As they should be. Crap isn't king if you have to keep paying for it each and every month.
Where will the lone arranger advertise when that happens? Oh well. I'm over it.
Last edited by Old Codger (December 28, 2015 11:42 pm)
- Glen Warren
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
Survivors... the sports channels / services mainstream ones anyway, I'll draw the line at a 24/7 competitive uecker channel...
Victims, pretty much everything else to an extent. Some channels will survive to some degree, but not without major changes.
Will they be able to continue to be so narrowly focused in the various demographics which they attempt to program to without out the "subsidy" of the bundled packaging that many have enjoyed for the past two decades and in some cases even longer?
Well one thing is for certain... they can't continue to "bicycle" or regurgitate the same tripe on their various "sister" channels as they are currently doing now... it will diminish their brand...
The Programming Overlords are going to have to re-evaluate how they program a channel.... Here is tip... Don't program the service to satisfy your own desire or ego.... build a schedule/service with programming that will appeal to, attract, and retain a subscriber base.
There was an article in one of the papers this past weekend discussing how specialty channel YTV was once a King on the block, but now is falling victim to the big bad Netflix... The article goes on to explore to some degree how the corporate parent Corus can be in for an even rougher ride due to having ownership of a number of services that appeal to the same broader audience (kids) If the little ones aren't watching your Treehouse, then they probably aren't going to grow up with you and tune into your YTV or Nickleodeon, of Disney, Disney Jr, offerings either...
- Radiowiz
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
Well one thing is for certain... they can't continue to "bicycle" or regurgitate the same tripe on their various "sister" channels as they are currently doing now... it will diminish their brand...
Too many repeats (that recently aired on a sister station) gives good excuse to shut one of the two channels down.
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- pinto
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
When cable/Internet went out in my area for 14 hours yesterday.. I had TV.. thank you HD antenna
- Radiowiz
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
When cable/Internet went out in my area for 14 hours yesterday.. I had TV.. thank you HD antenna
Knowing some people also had no power, hey, Thank-you Power!!
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Old Codger
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
Ya Glen...There are going to be a lot of casualties. People are going to lose their jobs. UNFORTUNATELY not the IDIOTS calling the losing shots.
TV is not much better [except for sports] than it was when, in the sowny area, we had CBC, CTV, CHCH, ABC, CBS and NBC. There was just as much variety then as there is now with close to 1,000 channels. EXCEPT FOR SPORTS. And news? News meant something then. Now it's all about NOT pissing off anyone who pays the bills. What a joke!!! The dying art of print eats electronics for breakfast, lunch, snacks and dinner [and midnight buffets] when it comes to actually breaking stories and undertaking undercover investigations. Radio/TV? Owned and run by the same idiots who'll see 1/2 of their investments evaporate in these nest 2-3 years...and 1/2 of what's left will follow down into the shitter over the ensuing 5 years.
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Execs? The shareholders are planning your bris even as I type. Lord knows you EARNED it.
Last edited by Old Codger (December 29, 2015 6:46 pm)
- Prod Guy
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
I completely disagree. TV is better than it has ever been.
Unfortunately for the industry, all of the best shows are on about 5 specialty channels.
- Radiowiz
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
I completely disagree. TV is better than it has ever been.
Unfortunately for the industry, all of the best shows are on about 5 specialty channels.
Yeah, we're all rushing to tune into those 5 channels! 
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Old Codger
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Re: Which Channels Will Survive Pick-And-Pay?
I completely disagree. TV is better than it has ever been.
Unfortunately for the industry, all of the best shows are on about 5 specialty channels.
So then you completely agree. I said 6 channels...You say 5. With close to 1,000 to choose from we're gonna qhibble over 1 stinkin' channel? Maybe then 1 was a waste. Now it's 995.
"Only CBS" indeed!!!