Implementation of the New Basic Television Package and Flexible Packaging Options

Canadians shared their views on the new basic television package and flexible packaging options. The official Facebook discussion forum was open on September 7 and 8, 2016.

View comments that were made in French

General Comments

We’ve introduced some changes this year in how service providers must offer TV services, including: a new basic package and new flexible packaging options. How do you feel about the way TV providers have implemented these new options?
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Paul Richard

Getting expensive if you not willing to hassle them down. I had to cancel my subscription with Bell to get a reasonable better rate from $228 to $138 per month. (Fibe Internet, Tv, Phone)

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Susan Allard Snider McKee

That is crazy . 228.00 for what the gold package. This is all getting too expensive . Imagine them coming back 100.00 cheaper. Just proves we are getting ripped off.

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Dave Brewer

well i will believe it when i see some changes that are better for the consumer

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Susan Fletcher

There is no way any company like Rogers will make it cheaper. They will offer crap for 25 and by the time u pick it will be excessive. All they know is how to charge. How else do u explain ridiculously high prices of phone and Internet. Highest in the world I think.someone has to put a stop to sacking the consumer dry

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Carlo Del Gaudio

I was getting quotes from my current provider (Videotron) and Bell because my 1 year deal with Videotron had ended, you have to remember when your deal is up since they won't tell you the price of your services is going up on a particular date. The trend these days is to cancel with one provider when your deal is up and get a deal from another provider. The new provider cancels your current account directly, at that point your current provider calls you back with a new offer, this is time consuming and sometimes frustrating.

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Carlo Del Gaudio

New clients are rewarded while long-standing clients get the increase.

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Susan Allard Snider McKee

Carlo Del Gaudio I'm a new client and was rewarded nothing only forced to take stuff I didn't want

Reply to previous comment

Carlo Del Gaudio

Susan Allard Snider McKee I guess there are exceptions

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Ryan Stanfield

A "Skinny basic" package should include time shifting and radio channels. All cable packages should include a standard definition receiver at no additional charge since we can't watch the channels we pay for without one.

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Thomas Czech

I haven't had cable for over three years . We watch everything on-line now. I would like cable tv, but the basic or skinny cabe packages are ridiculous. most channels we never watch and the ones we do want are not offered except by paying extra. The entire cable system is nothing but gouging. I have heard of one person getting satellite, and then his friends different households) got boxes and they share the satellite fee thus saving money. Might be something to look into. Or keep getting shows and movies online.

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Susan Allard Snider McKee

So do you not watch tv or how do you ?

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Karen Dales

The ludicrous expensive cost of cable tv has made me decide to cancel. I only want CBC and have to pay almost 500 a year for it? Not worth it.

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Reply to previous comment

Alen H. Marks

CBC is available free of charge Over The Air in HD in most markets, although there are a few that don't have it

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Carlo Del Gaudio

We've been paying extra for HDTV services while adoption has been too slow, it feels like we're being taken advantage of. Some specialty channels have been slowly adding HD feeds but the audio is being compressed - Dynamic Range Compression. For people who feed the audio through a Home Theater system it's obvious and dull. If we must pay extra, we deserve top quality.

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Leebly Brown

It's a total farce even in the basic package with Eastlink you technically have to pay for what are/were normally free channels anyway and to add single channels from a sparse selection with the basic package it is 5 dollars so you end up spending more for less. The hash tag should be #youhavechoicesbuttheyarelimited

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Darlene Kobley

The big Question here is how did these cable providers/internet suppliers/wireless gurus get so much power? If you are going to regulate them then do so....I thought that was your position in all of this. Who is paying for these "discussions" when the companies clearly do not see where they need to comply to anything. Fix the flawed system

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Igor Malakhov

I think it is also time to talk about 'skinny' data packages - most of young generations consume TV/video content via internet and mobile devices. Skinny TV package is good start, but the near future in 'skinny' data packages.

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Reply to previous comment

Pierre-Alexandre Racine

What to you mean by "Skinny Data"

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Marilyn Yenson

all the while the CRTC will still be mandating the channels that must be put in that basic package. If Canadians and providers had a choice do you really think they would have the second language channels in that package? Providers are forced to carry and pay for those channels. You mad about the cost of equipment? Go out and buy it... or go buy an antenna and see how many channels you get. The equipment isn't cheap and the technology to maintain the delivery of TV isn't cheap. There is a pricepoint that networks set to set their station to a T.V. provider. There is cabling, satellites and infrastructure that must be maintained and improved. There are channels that TV providers are forced to carry and too pay for. The skinny basic packages are not packages that TV providers can make any money from... but customers still want discounts and free equipment. When this all goes before the CRTC who is the governing body of what channels you are allowed to watch.. who do you think will have favor? Customers and TV providers would be better served to tell the government and the CRTC to stop forcing "Canadian content" and second languages down our throats. Then both providers and customers could have a little leeway in the channel selection in the skinny basic package.

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Pierre-Alexandre Racine

Second language option is just Good, Canada is a bilingual country, so open your mind and leard second language. But antenna, yeah right ..but since the HDTV UVH/UHF is the only one, we get less channel than before, and at that time we did not need to buy a 150$ antenna for have "maybe some channel" .. to the new HDTV signal was a good thing for provider like Shaw, roger and Bell,.. plus they get more bandwitch for their mobile service..

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Marilyn Yenson

a customer who has to pay for a service should NOT have to pay for something they don't want. When you go to a restaurant, do you want them adding some dish you don't want and charging you for it? Open your mind and try another dish!! How arrogant!

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Marilyn Yenson

Pierre do you get it? The CRTC took away those easy ways to watch TV. Not the TV provider. The equipment to watch those Channels is expensive. The TV channels are not Free. Those Satellite and Cables and Networks to deliver the signal is NOT free. TV is not a right. It is costly to deliver so why pay for Channels you do want?

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Eileen Benoit

If I get the skinny pkg,then I lose my bundle & end up paying even more for phone & internet,left bell aliant for eastlinks cheaper pkg for 1 year but have poor reception & keep losing picture, I may just give up all of it, if something isnt done for the consumer

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Duncan Creamer

I haven't had cable for about 6 years, in part because I can't justify spending hundreds of dollars a month for it. I looked into this new skinny cable idea but found there are none. There are no 25$ packages because they charge you to rent the cable box on top of that fee. Never mind all the other problems.

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Zziggy Stardust

For those of us in rural Canada we have little choice: we can go with Bell, whose self-declared war on the CRTC means that they are expensive and lacking in true choice, or Shaw Direct, who are just expensive. Great choices, eh?

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Todd Smith

I have 300+ channels with Bell and it is cheaper than it was for me to have the skinny and the 10 channels I watched. If I switched it would have cost me almost $40 a month more and I'd lose almost 300 channels. I'd lose my discount on Internet, I'd lose my home phone. The end result is I'd go from 300+ channels with 4 set top boxes, Internet and phone. To having the 10 channels I'd watch, most of which aren't in the skinny package, no home phone, slower internet and only 2 set top boxes for just $20 more than I'm paying monthly now. If I decided to keep the Internet speed I have and 4 set top boxes I'm looking at around $40 more than I'm paying now, before taxes. Just insanity. If it wasn't for sports I wouldn't even bother with having a TV service any more.

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Zziggy Stardust

In addition to that, we have no choices via Internet. Why? Because unlike our first-class citizen cousins in urban Canada who get fiber, cable, ADSL, LTE, we get....fixed wireless - if we can get it. In many places we don't. That wonderful program out of ISED which was supposed to provide rural internet has done......nothing. BC's expensive "Connecting Citizens" program has done....nothing, except make Telus rich. No one really cares about us - urban Canadians have all the services they need, and then some - with exceptional speeds, if not pricing. In rural Canada we have.....little. The CRTC and ISED blather about service, but the reality is that there is little to none for us, with little to no choice, and expensive services at that. I spend $70/mo on TV I don't watch JUST in order to be able to watch hockey. That's all I want. And I can't even get that without paying for a ton of American crap TV I don't care about. Wanna do something useful CRTC? Fix THAT.

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Jason Collier

BELL will use threat tactics if you ask for very basic package, they respond by saying you loose your bundle discounts on other services like internet and phone and TV, as you can't qualify for bundle discounts if you switch to the skinny pack, also they want you to pay like $7 for other channels you select, plus if you dont own your own equipment then you have to pay the rental for PVR, then the digital service fee is also added on! Channel selection is always unfair as they give you TSN 1/3/4/5 that you pay for in a pack but have to pay extra for TSN 2! even worse with Sportsnet pay in a pack to get SN E/W/O/P and most times they show same thing on these channels, but put other sporting events you want to watch on SNONE/ SN360 and SNWORLD all of which you have to pay extra for, it is all one big con, no wonder people are switching off and finding other means to watch TV.

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Russ H Gunter

The cable has lost the original intent that is to provide distant channels to rural costumers. I now live in a part of New Brunswick that I can only receive Global and C.T.V. It is to expensive to receive Internet , Television and phone from these companies. They say their investment is too great and the cost must be passed on. I am fixed income. can't do it.

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Nicole Marsh

My boyfriend and I sit down to watch TV during dinner, and even with 300+ channels from Bell, our food is cold before we find anything to watch... we then resort to Netflix. Waste of money to pay for a lot of channels that aren't being used, especially when so many seem like repeats. Yet, like others state, it's more expensive to try and switch to a skinny package because of losing the bundle deal.

Especially a concern for me and other deaf Canadians, as high speed internet is not cheap, and with VRS coming soon, we need to have the fastest internet possible to allow clear sign language video communication.

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Lulu Chan

I DON'T WANT ANY PACKAGE, JUST PICK AND CHOOSE ANY INDIVIDUAL ONE AND PAY ACCORDINGLY, IS THAT POSSIBLE? WHY CREATE THIS USELESS PACKAGE FOR US?

If CRTC really wanted to help the consumers, just tell the big three cancel all their packages and let consumers pick and choose whatever they want to watch and pay. Simple and fair.

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John van Stelten

We got rid of our Bell Satellite TV only because they refused to lower our bill. Cut back on your channels to the so called "Good" package" was the answer so we opted for No Package instead. Now Bell bought MTS in Manitoba which effectively eliminates more competition for TV and internet.

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Laura Gray

The basic package is only worth 9.95. I will have to cancel my Bell TV service soon and will not pay $30.00 plus for basic service.

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Reply to previous comment

Christine Hutchinson-Splane

Agreed $10 MAX there's nothing worth watching

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Tim Aitchison

i have roger internet home phone cable tv services rogers discourges me from getting the skinny basic they will not even add with your services bundle home phone internet to get shows i like i must pay a high price for 2 or 3 channels i like in a big tv packages i think crtc look into this more break the tv package right down i am paying a lot for tv because the channels ilke are in the biggest package there to many the same channels like ctv, golbal , city, cbc,you only need one each of these channels local this should be in the skinny abc, nbc, ,fox,cbs,ctv, golbal,city cbc,my buffalo,cw, 23,the skinny basic needs more than ten channels,it should be 25 to 50 channelsbut the crtcneeds to take off contractsif you get rid of cable tv in a bundlewith home phone internet rogerswill charge you 500 dollars for getting rid of cable tv in a bundle verbal contracts do not counti try to get rid of my cable tv rogers hike my internet home phone 160 a month just basic home phone100 ignite unlimted internetrogers was going to charge me 500 dollars for gettiing rid of cable tvthey will not allow skinny basic cable tv in a bundle to rent the cable tv box 12.95 a month plus servicestaxesbring cable tv services and satilite servicesfrom the united states more choices bring direct tv diish network into canada and time warner cable tv because this where bell, and rogers , are reboardcasting off there satilite and charging to us thats how they get there sports amc, wpix11, wgn, ktla , my 38 bosten

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Ron White

Don't assume that Canadians are happy with the 25$ skinny package just because the majority does not complain to you. We wish there was a way for us to get a better deal on our TV packages but individually we feel and we are powerless to do anything about it, instead we keep hoping that the CRTC will have the will to intervene on our behalf, you did in a half heartened measure but now we see the results and we are not satisfied. You, the crtc essentially gave our providers a monopoly to help them get established, what have they done with all the money they have sucked out of us over the years, we have the slowest internet in the world, and pay the most for it, Canadians deserve better.

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Frankathon Dirabis

I cancelled cable 6 years ago when I finally realized that was I was doing was going over 300 + channels that were either doubles or triples of the same channel or stuff I would never watch. I have saved 1000's of dollars so far.

The skinny packages offered by both Bell and Rogers are a joke. The channels I want to watch only come in add-ons that cost as much or close to the skinny package.

I stream everything online or watch Netflix which honestly could be better.

Canadians are being gouged!

We need a 25$ a month, tax included pick-your-own channels(say 12 channels total). Not pick your own pre-selected package of channels you don't want.

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Russell Ball

Telus is now loading up the channels with pay per view, apps, and adverts. the actual programming is becoming secondary to the cash grabbing pseudo channels they put on.

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Tim Aitchison

the skinny basic also be digtal 25 to 50 channels music channels should not count in the skinny package abc, fox, nbc, cbs,cbc, ctv, chch, golbal city tv, my buffalo cw 23 peach tree amc and family channel teletoon, disney cartoon network comedy sports fans tsn sports net classic tv comedy gold dajveiw fx fxx what i mention here this a good skinny basic

Reply to previous comment

Pierre-Alexandre Racine

more like a good basic than a Skinny package, skinny meam bare minimum, so ok for the general US channel (Abc, cbc, nbc, fox, Pbs) with general CA (CTV, CTV2, Global TV ect ) +maybe channel radio

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Sammy Cheng

The skinny package at $25 should include all free-to-air channels & the equipment (ie set-top boxes) required to watch at the least. Additional channels, pvr, internet & home phone line can be add-ons with bundle discounts.

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Ken Cartier

Do not like the way Shaw rents there packages basic is garbage , really get nothing,

There popular package they took away shows and replaced with crap shows and took movie channels off . Wanna watch movies now pay extra.

They got the power they charge what they want and screw the consumer !

To hell with there tv

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Susan Allard Snider McKee

I just signed up with Rogers and I was given no choices. . In fact I was a forced to take a land line , therefore it involved me buying a new telephone. Not wanted. Also I now have a security system I don't need or want. As for television I was offered basic tv. But not told what it entailed nor offered any add on stations at a reasonable price. I went to find a channel to watch the CFL couldn't find one. Found the NFL. I'm in Canada and can't watch Canadian sports . Not impressed. I never got a list of channels I do get so had to go through all channels to see if available , not impressed. Now I've contacted Rogers three times to no avail. I am paying 109.?? And don't have what I wanted but do have services I didn't want. And apparently I'm on a two year contract although I have no paperwork stating any of this

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Colin Patrick Ferrie

these options are a joke as for the costs of renting additonal euqpment and excluding discounts that are given for bundling other tv offers

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Nick AC Rudiak

The whole point of a "skinny basic" model is moot if the providers don't provide compelling options. The issue isn't so much with the model itself but with the fact that our "basic" channels have not been good for a long time. The CRTC needs to kick start Canadian television production by providing adequate funding to our public broadcaster and by giving incentives to private companies to produce high-quality Canadian programming. It's not surprising consumers haven't bitten when it comes to the skinny basic model; the included channels barely provide anything of interest.

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Stephenie Paone

The skinny package and pick and pay is a joke. Sure it is $25 but then to pick and pay for the other channels you want it costs more than paying for a monthly package that has the actual channels you want. The provider still wins in the long run by making you buy their ludicrously priced package. There should be a cap on the cost of pick and pay channel. .50 a dollar?

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Don Smith

I would like all English channels in my skinny package, and I expect French speaking Canadians would like all French Channels. I am sure that purchasing a satellite receiver at a low cost ($100) instead of rental would be advantageous too many. I would like to be able to pick each channel in my package rather than have them chosen for me. I would like the cost of the channels I pick to be closely related to the cost of providing them, calculated to be about 12 cents a month per customer.

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Foural Mal

"Skinny" my butt! Providers still give waaay more for basic package than I want, as well, almost ALL the channels I want for pick and pay seem to be attached to a different package, with nothing, or next to nothing being offered as stand alone, a joke, and another example that Government are small time pikers when it comes to dealing with big business!-You are out of your league, get rid of the small timers, and give us some hitters!!!

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Andrew Smyk

Skinny package is mostly OTA channels. Desirable channels are still buried in expensive premium packages. No motivation to go to a skinny package if your monthly home phone, mobile and internet changes will go up if opting for a skinny package. 8 out of 30 channels are in French including CPAC. CPAC is filler (so skinny is really 28 channels).

Drop trade barriers/regulations to telco's entering the market place.

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Edwin Wirth

When I tried to switch to Basic Cable Shaw told me they don't have the necessary Infrastructure to offer it. As an alternative I was told to get their Satellite package, for which I would have had to pay installation etc. So I canceled Cable

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Gail White

I was told I would save $$$ by going with the skinny package and then picking 20 random channels instead of 'packages' well I saved a whole 4 dollars and ended up with less channels. When I pointed this out they gave me some equipment discounts, so my bill is lower - temporarily, until the equipment discount runs out. And I agree with the comments that the skinny package should NOT have channels in it that you do not want.

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Moira Pinnell Davis

I live in Creighton SK and cable here is provided by Shaw. Back in May 2016, I asked about the "skinny" package and was told that our area license didn't qualify.

Then I was told by Shaw that if I got Shaw Direct (satellite dish) I could get the "skinny package". Well, I brought home all the Shaw Direct paperwork and yes, I could get the "skinny package", but my current PVR would have to be replaced, as Shaw and Shaw Direct don't have compatible equipment . . . really?!?

So, then I went to the Shaw Direct website, and found the "skinny package" - which is basically French and English news channels across 5 times zones. Not much selection and not much variety.

Then I called Shaw Direct and asked about adding on a couple of channels - likes TSN, HBO Canada, Movie Central and what the costs would be.

Shaw Direct's reply - WE DON'T OFFER INDIVIDUAL CHANNELS, YOU HAVE TO TAKE A PACKAGE!

So ANYONE wanting to get the "skinny package" from Shaw Direct, and add a couple of channels - YOU CANNOT DO IT!

Heads up CRTC - PICK & PAY doesn't EXIST with Shaw Direct!!!

Other than getting a brief discount for a couple of months, if you take a Shaw Direct Package, your Cable bill will be as much or more as before you switched to them . . . grrr!

I've had it with these companies gouging its customers, constantly increasing their prices and providing very little in return.

I cancelled my Shaw Cable June 1, 2016. I bought some rabbit ears and now I watch Netflix and the odd repeat on CTV.

By the way CRTC, it's pretty damn sad that CBC pulled it's transmitter from our area a couple of years ago. Really?? CBC isn't available everywhere? Our nationally funded network?

Why isn't CBC MANDATED to provide its service THROUGHOUT Canada???

It's no wonder people are watching online, using Apple TV or Roku, or some illegal device they've bought to find a way to watch television.

Just like our overpriced cellphone and internet bills, Canadians are FED UP - so CRTC I hope you get your act together and STIPULATE criteria so that the Canadian Consumer has choices, and the prices aren't so high that they are forced to get a package to watch the channels they want!!!!!!

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Daniel Swan

If Bell offered a customize your own model in which you got to pick ONLY the channels you wanted without having to resort to adding package upon package we might be a little more satisfied, but knowing how money hungry they are this will never become a reality in the end we will always have to pay more for our TV, If this trend keeps up we might have to look at other options because in these times, money is tight.

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Gabriel Bachir

I dont understand why cable company like Videotron dont offer 25$ plan with no equipment to rent, the signal can go trough the cable! And im sure bell can do the same with the optic fiber! Digital still digital!! Or the equipment should be free to rent!

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Ezio Bobbato

CRTC should do the right thing and mandate the telecom companies to allow customers to choose which channels to include in the $25 skinny package. As it stands now, Bell offers a limited number of channels (many are duplicates or in French which I don't want) in their skinny offering in Ontario. Of the 21 channels included, I would only watch two of them which ends up costing me $12.50 per channel. I'm in a rural area and can't get over-the-air digital TV so am stuck with Bell. So much is said about how much choice we Canadians have (at least in urban areas) but little is said about affordability for those choices especially for rural customers. Very sad.

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Darrell Gauchier

If television service providers wish to pull tricks by removing discounts, making customers pay for STB rentals to access their service, and charging installation fees, then I'd say remove skinny basic as a requirement to access a la carte and allow customers to subscribe to any one service they want at a reasonable cost. And when I say a reasonable cost, I don't mean $15 for TSN, $10 for Food Network, and so on. Regardless of which package a customer subscribes to, all customers should be treated equally. This include the bundle discounts, STB rentals, gifts for signing up, and free installation. Also, a quick question for my friends on Bell Satellite - what's up with that ridiculous 'Digital Service Fee'? It's not like we have a choice to receive the service in analog, so what gives?

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Reply to previous comment

Emily Dodson

My problem is that I thought all stations were mandated that they must provide HD, so why is it that I have more channels that show up as a windowed blurry picture on my widescreen HDTV than I do HD Channels?

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Sheila Shannon

I want to be able to choose my channels. I want to pay a fair price for what I choose.I don't want to be 'Locked into bundles". I do not want to be charged a higher rate if I change my choices. When I want to edit my "package" I can't get the rate I've been paying even if I want less channels... I will be billed a higher rate as the package I had doesn't "exist" any more.... Very frustrating...

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Tammy Peters

Canceled cable. Got tired of paying for channels of different languages I don't speak, paying for channels I'll never watch and why record when like Netflix if you fall asleep on a movie you can always want it again when you want with no commercials. Its all about convenience, cable is by far not convenient. Kids went 7 months without watching cable they preferred Netflix so paying the $10 a month for the extra package with treehouse was a waste, so was the basic cable

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Andy Maguire

We have the minimal package through Shaw for tv, phone and Internet and it costs us about $150 per month. If you un-bundled the package it would cost MORE! Rogers isn't offering anything reasonable in the area and Telus would cost more even on a 2 year contract. How is $150/month for basic services even remotely reasonable? Our home has had cable services since 2000 and the prices just keep going up for older technology.

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Judy Goh

Gave up on tv almost a year ago. Price was going up and they can change your channel selection without your permission!!

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Dok Rak

Just before the hearing bell admitted to lying to people about the need for having internet access and released an internal training document that proved they discouraged the sale of the skinny package. This smells of a class action law suit. How are criminal organization like this allowed to operate in Canada? Oh, the CRTC is protecting them, wait isn't that backwards?

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Barry W Cook

I gave up on cable TV several years ago and went with a 3rd Party Provider (TekSavvy) for my internet needs - at roughly $30 / month. With the mandated under $25 basic plan, I looked at returning to cable. Of those available to me, Bell did not even have the basic OTA signals available to me, so they were out - while Rogers 'Starter' package had what I was looking for and might be advertised at $24.99, but requires the rental of a digital box at $12.95 / month, for a *real* monthly total of $37.94. Following the language, but not intent, of the CRTC. (This is particularly telling insofar as Rogers had an unadvertised Plan called Digital Basic prior to the mandated start date that included the box for under $20 / month). I called Rogers on the Starter Plan, seeing how interested they were in doing a deal (I have a Wireless plan with them) - absolutely no moment was offered there, but when I suggested that TekSavvy + Rogers Starter (with box) = $67.94, they suggested a bundle with internet (a slight increase in speed over TekSavvy, but a dramatic drop in 'cap' - from 175 to 50 GB) and their Basic plan would cost $64.99 (with box). I decided to go with this bundle in the end (which works out to Internet at $26.99 + Cable at $38.00, plus tax) - but had the mandated Plan been followed as intended, Rogers $24.99 + TekSavvy $30 would have cost me $54.99 total, plus tax. So I'm still paying a premium for a service I did not actually want, but was cheaper than the alternative.

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Don Emilio Zinno

WITHOUT PREJUDICE INTENDED towards Bell Canada, please. If I read your CRTC latest news, Bell Canada has admitted to some alleged wrong doing before your CRTC Court Hearing regarding Basic TV vs Internet Services. That being a fact now, should the CRTC not enforce that Bell Canada credit all customers a certain amount of money for misleading them into purchasing their one sided services. Thank you for allowing me to express my thoughts.

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Dave Nicholson

thier just going to waste aot of time make a good show waste tax dollars and then do what the big boys want but they make a good show of it

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Pastrol Konsant

In all honesty, I haven't even had a look at any new packages! I feel so apathetic towards these telecommunication companies now. My situation isn't unique. It's only after speaking to other individuals that I have come to realize certain pricing strategies that were employed. My previous package included some sport channels, news and learning etc. Total was about CAD115 monthly. Having spoken to a coworker, who lives in Woodbridge, she showed me her package and to my surprise, she had all my channels plus many more and was paying CAD85 a month! When I called Rogers to cancel, they offered me my same package for CAD35, I had never felt so used in my life. So please excuse my apathy, I'm just not interested anymore. IPTV to the WORLD!!

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Raphe Perenial

Google 'Telus skinny basic' (or Shaw, etc). When you follow the link to the Telus website, there is no skinny basic, there is only an overwhelming number of choices specifically designed to glaze the eyes.

This is the big scam that all the phone/cable/internet companies are doing these days, that is overwhelming us with choices. I just signed up for a new 2 year phone plan along with a 'data plan'. There is a 1 GB plan, a 2.5 GB plan, a 4 GB plan, a 7 GB plan, a 10 GB plan, a 20 GB plan and a 40 GB plan. Why so many plans? Because they get to steal more of our money this way. We pay for data we don't use, plus we play $5.00 a MB if we go 'over' our data plan limit. $5.00 a MB equals over $5,000.00 per GB. That is criminal.

Imagine if you went into the local gas station to buy gasoline and you had similar choices. 10 litres, 20 litres, 40 litres, etc., and if you buy the 40 litre plan but your tank is full after 32 litres, too bad. No refunds for unused gasoline. People would go Crazy! Or imagine if you bought 40 litres for $1.10 a litre, but you went over a by a couple of litres, and they charge you $100.00 each for those extra litres. That's what the phone companies are doing now with their data plans. Legalized criminality.

They are so used to ripping us off, and we are so used to being ripped off that we put up with these abusive practices. The phone/cable/tv companies need much stronger regulation.

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Gary Falle

WE ARE BEING HELD AT RANSOM BY CABLE DICTATORSHIP. NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH ADVERTISING EVERY 2 MINUTES BUT WE NOW ARE RECIEVING LESS THAN EXPECTED IN CONTENT. IT IS TIME THE CRTC FATCATS EARN THEIR SALARIES AND DO GOOD FOR THE CONSUMER. I WONT HOLD MY BREATH.

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Cornell Hessing

Rogers lies when they claim their front line staff aren't trained to discourage the skinny package. You don't need to listen to consumers - have an agent call their 1-800 number and pretend to want to change their residential package. Mention the skinny package, and then sit back for 10min while the Rogers agent lists off all the reasons you shouldn't go with the skinny package.

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Cornell Hessing

You understand, however, that the fact that service providers have abused the CDN people for this long, and continue to do so is on YOU! It's your fault. They are greedy corporations doing what greedy corporations do. YOU were created to protect us. YOU are funded by us to ensure greed doesn't exploit us. YOU have failed us. YOU need to fix this shit. Grow a pair and fight these companies. Otherwise, eventually, it will become an election issue...and you'll be on the block!

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Michael Cooper

All people want is to be able to pick the channels they want in the basic channel. Offer packages with 10, 15, 20 etc channels and let us pick what we want in those packages. Is is that simple and everyone will be happy. People are tired of paying for channels they will never watch. It is not rocket science so why make it so difficult.

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Terry Baker

I am not happy with the new "Skinny" rip off package at all. We were happy with what we had but Quadro kept taking away channels until we were forced to pick between there basic package or go up in money and take their next package. This included renting their didgital box and a lot more stations than we wanted. Most of these new stations also just keep repeating the same 20 shows and a whole lot of other useless ones. Why shoul;d I be forced to buy what I don't want. Why should this be so hard to just let the consumer pick the exact channels they want ??

Comment

Jay Henry

I simply refuse to even try to buy cable tv... there is no option that is palatable... the skinny basic may be met by the rules of the law, but they're definately not matching the intent of the law... every canadian should have a way to have access to FREE Basic Television... CBC, etc... right now i cannot watch any TV in my home because i don't have the money for it... so i avoid cable entirely and spend 9 dollars a month on netflix which doesn't give me the latest news but at least i can watch what i want when i want. i have no faith in any of the big TV providers... they'

Comment

Wayne M. E. Smith

The small packages do not offer anything I would want. I am very close to turning off my sat services as I can watch most programs on an antenna or by streaming. The cable TV providers are also running repeat after repeat and in some cases labeling it as new programming even if it previously showed one year before. Until we get service the way they do in the US cable and Satellite in Canada is flogging a dead horse. Also why can there not be more TV channels on antenna. They do it a lot differently in the US. If a company in the US owns more than one service they can offer it as follows, 6.1, 6.2, and 6.3 each being a different broadcast of a company channel. In Canada they break up one as high def and the other as standard def. For example in my area 9.1 Global High def and 9.2 Global standard def. Meanwhile Global owns other things the cable companies are charging extra for. Also Rogers does not seem to care that their station from Portage La Prairie does not make it to Winnipeg over an antenna signal. There is a distinct difference between cable feeds and antenna that their people seem to have forgot about.

Comment

Nancy Lusty

nothing to say ...seems ALL companies lie about something to do with their services #alreadycaughtTelusinbreachofcontract

Comment

Philip Richards

The so called "skinny basic" cable fees are neither skinny nor basic. They are merely window dressing by these cable companies which are merely greedy monopolies. This proves how useless the CRTC is which exerts no real power or authority to protect consumers and legislate effectively against this collusion by cable providers. I too am held "hostage", as others have said by Rogers. If I was to get the skinny package, I would have to pay a $15 per month cancellation charge with my currently bundled internet, lose my bundle discount for TV and internet, lose my discount on my PVR rental and have to pay more for 2 of my favourite channels which are not included in the skinny. Like others have said, I too would end up paying more for "skinny basic" than for what I have now.

Basic TV Package

What do you think of how providers are offering the new basic package? What do you think of how they promote it? Did you subscribe to the new basic package? Why? Why not?
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Comment

Shelley Veinot

We subscribed to the basic package for a month or so. The main issue we had was that there were no sports channels included - which in itself wasn't a problem. The problem was when we called Shaw Direct to add sports channels, the price to add the channel group was way more because we only had the basic package. For anyone with a more expensive package, the price for sports channels was much cheaper. The reasoning Shaw Direct gave us was the cost of their licensing fees with the sports channels (the sports channels I'm talking about are TSN & Sportsnet, which are Canadian channels).

Comment

Antony Paller

They don't offer it unless you ask for it. They will tell you the offers they have and try and get you in a plan of their picking and price

Comment

Thomas Czech

I haven't had cable for over three years . We watch everything on-line now. I would like cable tv, but the basic or skinny cabe packages are ridiculous. most channels we never watch and the ones we do want are not offered except by paying extra. The entire cable system is nothing but gouging. I have heard of one person getting satellite, and then his friends different households) got boxes and they share the satellite fee thus saving money. Might be something to look into. Or keep getting shows and movies online.

Comment

Mike Hilland

Shaw doesn't have any individual sports channels in their list of what I can add to my basic package. Buying a sports package would totally wipe out any savings from going basic. I suspect they intentionally do this to make it unattractive.

Comment

Mike Hilland

We have the Shaw basic package. Only 2 of the 40 channels are ones we actually watch, so we had to add a couple more. Instead of being stuck with 38 "dogs", I think we should have options for choosing at least some of the channels WITHIN that basic package - at least to pick the dogs we prefer!

Comment

Mike Hilland

We're watching more and more off the internet. They're very close to losing our business completely.

Comment

Russ H Gunter

It is all in analog/digital format and not high definition. Very disappointed with the selection as well.

Comment

Gerry Gruber

If I go to the grocery store to buy a carton of milk, I am not forced to buy an additional bundle of groceries that I don't want, just to get the milk I do want. If I go to the mall to buy a pair of shoes, I'm not forced to buy a shirt and pants as well. Yet, if I want to purchase TSN, I must first purchase $25 of channels I don't want. Please explain.

Comment

Gerry Gruber

The basic packages are essentially those channels that anyone in an urban centre can get free over-the-air. So why would I pay for them? I can only assume that the CRTC's long term strategy is to replace free over-the-air TV with paid "basic" TV. Excuse me if I am underwhelmed.

Comment

Brian Beaton

Basic packages need to be standardized by the CRTC with all parties agreement to include a selection of accessible / desirable / appropriate channels. It seems the corporations got together to address this without any one representing the consumers being present.

Comment

Don Hatch

No I did not because after picking the channels I wanted and adding it cost more than my total of all the channels I have now and then add on converters and lose discounts.no good wate of time

Comment

Alen H. Marks

Here's the problem with basic packages: the providers are allowed to charge whatever they want for any additional devices, such as tv receiver box on top of the $25 monthly fee. My understanding is that Rogers also forces an additional rental of a PVR on top of the receiver box, making the overall service fee way higher than $25. None of these devices is actually necessary. Cable providers have a choice to transmit the signal through QAM standard which can be decoded and received by any TV set on the market today without external boxes. One deducts, therefore, that the transmission of non-standard signals that require external decoders is a providers choice but the user gets penalized for it. Therefore the mandatory equipment rental should be illegal and when the providers require it, it should be at their own cost. Not on top of the monthly service fee.

Comment

Alen H. Marks

Also, as others have pointed out, the channels included in the skinny basic packages are, in most cases, the local ones available for free over the air in many urban markets, and sometimes are just a subset of those (e.g. No US channels included even when those are being broadcast from across the border). The customers should be informed that their decision to pay for receiving the skinny basic package is really a convenience, since many Canadians don't realize they have this choice. To that effect, the cable companies should be required to include a disclaimer to that effect on their website and/or billing material.

Comment

Ian Lipchak

When the new basic packages were launched, I took a look at the one being offered by Telus on their website. It was clearly positioned in such a way to deliberately discourage consumers from subscribing to it. For instance, while all of the other, more expensive, bundles could be ordered online with a click of the mouse, the basic cable one required consumers to phone a Telus agent. No doubt, the Telus agent would try to upsell the consumer into a more expensive bundle; but even by imposing that additional barrier or obstacle Telus was making it clear that it did not want consumers to bother with it. In addition to that, the basic package presentation online lacked any of the flashiness its more expensive cousins presented, although they did highlight very well the fact that the TV box was not included nor would the installation fee be waived - unlike the other options. I am very disappointed in Telus based on their approach to the basic cable option.

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Small TV Packages

Did you supplement your basic package with small packages? What do you think of the small packages? Do you feel the packages are reasonably priced?
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Comment

Antony Paller

They are over priced. And the channels are repeated with the same tv and movies. I got rid of my cable tv it's over priced for what I want to watch and that is CBC AMC discovery and history channels that's all I want but can't get unless I pay extra and a bunch of other channels I don't want

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Comment

Carlo Del Gaudio

When my 1 year deal was up at Videotron, the price jumped to regular prices without notice. I asked a CSR at Videotron what would be my minimum package while keeping RAI and Telelatino, I was told I had to keep my current 30 channel a la carte pkg.

Pick & Pay

Are you aware that starting December 1st, all service providers will have to offer optional channels individually to supplement your basic package? Will you take advantage of this option? Is your service provider already offering optional channels "à la carte"? Tell us about your experience.
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Comment

Robert Christian

I haven't paid for cable in years because I only would ever watch about five channels. If a company offered a reasonable rate for, say, ten of your favourite channels, I'd happily throw them my money (money that me and many other people aren't giving them now). Like Netflix has done, the first to offer the consumer something different is going to capture a lot of new customers.

Comment

Antony Paller

Shaw does not even explain this at all and they don't list any place of what a individual channel would cost either.

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Reply to previous comment

Steven Dobirstein

Shaw Direct's website is so bad I can't even find a listing on it of what I'm paying for now, let alone what things will cost me come December. They also make absolutely no effort to inform existing customers when new options come live.

Comment

Carlo Del Gaudio

My current provider (Videotron) offers Telelatino as part of my 30 channel a la carte package and I pay $2.99 for RAI. When my 1 year deal was up I got a quote from Bell for my 3 services. Bell charges $7 per channel for the Italian channels, can you explain why the big difference in price compared to Videotron?

Comment

Russ H Gunter

It is like a secret trying to find out what you can put together and it all comes with channels you don't want. Rogers told me you can not get single channels any more…

Comment

Gerry Gruber

It is no secret that Bell's cash cow is TSN. Interesting isn't it that since they realized they would have to offer individual channels, Bell has artificially created four TSN channels rather than one. That way, one has to pay for four channels rather than one.

Comment

Foural Mal

They are all in the same game! Shaw conveniently has broken up the most popular channels into different packages and offer few, if any, stand alone channels that one can access without even more "packages"!

Comment

Richard Young

I dont think the basic is worth while, very poor selection of channels, I can watch anything that is on tv ,, on my computer to my tv wireless, way better than any offers i have seen from bell, that way i can delete my satelite entirely

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