CRTC opens door to pick-and-pay channels, and $25 basic package
Price of basic cable package capped, subscribers can choose what extras
they want
CBC News
Mar 19, 2015 4:18 PM ET
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/crtc-opens-door-to-pick-and-pay-channels-and-25-basic-package-1.3001370
The CRTC will allow subscribers to purchase a basic $25 a month cable TV
or satellite package and have pick-and-pay options after that.
The regulator released a decision Thursday afternoon that paves the way
for the so-called "skinny basic" option.
The cable package is capped at $25 a month and will consist of local
stations and mandatory channels, such as the Weather Network, APTN,
educational channels and accessibility channels, plus all news channels
in English and French.
Subscribers would then be able to choose the channels they want to add
and pay for them individually, the so-called "pick a pack" or
"pick-and-pay" option.
By comparison, the cheapest online advertised television package for
Rogers customers in Ontario is $40.48 a month for "190+ channels," while
Bell offers Ontario customers more than 150 channels on both Fiber and
satellite options for an advertised price of $41.98 a month on its website.
This is the first time the CRTC has regulated a basic cable package
price since 1998.
"Today's decision is not about making choices for Canadians. Rather, it
is about setting out a roadmap to give all Canadians the freedom to
choose the television content that meets their unique needs, budgets,
and realities – which can even include free, over-the-air television
stations," CRTC chair Jean-Pierre Blais said in a news release.
Consumers will have the option of keeping the cable packages they
already have.
In place in December 2016
The CRTC has been holding hearings into revamping cable options for
consumers for the past year.
While there has been some resistance from the industry, there is a
feeling that change is inevitable and the changes may help the cable and
satellite industry keep the customers they have and maybe lure some back.
The CRTC is giving the cable industry some time to adjust to the new
rules, introducing them gradually over the next year and a half before
they become mandatory in December 2016.
Thursday's announcement is part of the CRTC's "Let's Talk TV"
initiative, which has already resulted in airing of American Super Bowl
ads starting in 2017 and revamped Canadian TV content rules.
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