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CRTC Enforced $25/mo Cable TV Is Now Available To Canadians, But With Caveats

Posted by timothy on from the in-the-us-caveats-are-extra dept.

Deathspawner writes: Last March, Canada's regulatory agency for all things broadcasting, CRTC, ruled that cable TV providers would soon be forced to offer $25/mo packages. With enforcement having kicked-off on March 1, these inexpensive packages have now been made available. As Techgage has discovered, though, the first packages out-of-the-gate pack a number of caveats, and in some cases, are outright misleading. And, despite a simple framework to worth with, the two largest providers in the country, Rogers and Bell, offer vastly different packages, and ultimately vastly different values to the consumer.

3 of 194 comments (clear)

  1. Re:wrong solution by gmack · · Score: 3, Informative

    Both you and TFA are both missing the point of what's going on here. It just doesn't matter if the basic package sucks because the cable providers must now offer "a la carte" pricing for the rest of the channels instead of forcing you into bundles. The upshot of this is that basic cable is now $25 and if you only watch 5 or 6 stations, you buy them one at a time without having to get a package that includes 20 channels you can't be bothered to watch.

  2. Re:Waste of $25 by wardrich86 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Rogers pack is practically what I grew up with for free with an antenna...

    -ABC
    -CBS
    -NBC
    -CBC
    -CTV
    -PBS
    -TVO
    -Some French channel I never watched
    -Fox
    -CHCH
    -WB
    -City

  3. Re:Cost should be $0 by Luthair · · Score: 3, Informative

    Unfortunately at least in Canada, the satellite/cable companies also own most of the channels. Then on top of that they also own the sports teams for complete vertical integration.