Diginets in canada!

I believe that the CRTC should allow digital subchannels in Canada without special authorization to do so.

I'd like to see it, too, but many stations are struggling as it is. Adding an extra channel might be something they might not be able to afford to do. The only secondary channel I get at all is a standard def 480p version of Global on 6-2 here in Ottawa. I don't even bother watching it since I can see the same programming in 1080i on 6-1. Everything else is just a single channel....and 2 of them only broadcast at 720p, the rest are 1080i My screen isn't large but I really notice the difference between the 2.

The CBC should have added the following at their digital transition:

CBAFT Moncton
11.1 ici
11.2 CBC // CBAT Fredericton

CBAT Fredericton
4.1 CBC
4.2 ici // CBAFT Moncton

CBCT Charlottetown
13.1 CBC
13.2 ici // CBAFT Moncton

CBET Windsor
9.1 CBC
9.2 ici // CBLFT Toronto

CBHT Halifax
3.1 CBC
3.2 ici // CBAFT Moncton

CBNT St. John's
8.1 CBC
8.2 ici // CBAFT Moncton

CBRT Calgary
9.1 CBC
9.2 ici // CBXFT Edmonton

CBVT Quebec City
11.1 ici
11.2 CBC // CBMT Montreal

CJBR Rimouski
2.1 ici
2.2 CBC // CBMT Montreal

CKSH Sherbrooke
9.1 ici
9.2 CBC // CBMT Montreal

CKTM Trois-Rivieres
13.1 ici
13.2 CBC // CBMT Montreal

CKTV Saguenay
12.1 ici
12.2 CBC // CBMT Montreal

The CBC Purge of 2012 is proof that they're in bed with cable and satellite companies.

Makes sense to me to allow both languages to share one transmitter in areas where two TV channels are no longer available. It's just amazing that English CBC is not available over the air in Moncton, Sherbrooke or Quebec City. And no French Ici in Calgary, Halifax, St. John's, etc.

I've often thought the CBC could increase its revenue by adding its own version of Me-TV or Antenna, by using a good number of old CBC shows that it still has in its library, along with some classic American shows. If CBS and NBC have their own classic TV subchannels, ABC has a classic comedy subchannel and Fox has a classic movie subchannel, why not the CBC? All these classic TV subchannels are available in the U.S. but not one in Canada.

Gregg. said:

It's just amazing that English CBC is not available over the air in Moncton, Sherbrooke or Quebec City. .

Click to expand...

95% of Quebec City residents speak French

Montreal is the only true Bilingual city in the province of Quebec. The only English station outside of MTL is Global and that is only in Quebec City and Sherbrooke

That may be true. But the CBC has sort of promised to provide service in both languages, even in communities where there are few Anglophiles or Francophiles. That's why there are SRC stations in every province, with local newscasts, even where it may be hard to find someone who primarily speaks French.

And how much more does it cost to add a subchannel to an existing CBC or SRC transmitter? FM stations in Canada can have HD subchannels. I don't know why the CRTC is against subchannels for TV stations.

Gregg. said:

That may be true. But the CBC has sort of promised to provide service in both languages, even in communities where there are few Anglophiles or Francophiles. That's why there are SRC stations in every province, with local newscasts, even where it may be hard to find someone who primarily speaks French.

Click to expand...

The issue is in all provinces EXCEPT Quebec both languages are considered "official language"
Quebec's official language (s) is JUST French

That's why there are SRC stations in every province

Click to expand...

nope...not anymore. There was until 2012 when they shut down a boatload of analog transmitters

As I understand it, unlike the FCC here the CRTC is legislatively compelled to use "economic viability"
as one of the factors to determine whether or not it will license a new service.

Gregg. said:

I've often thought the CBC could increase its revenue by adding its own version of Me-TV or Antenna, by using a good number of old CBC shows that it still has in its library, along with some classic American shows. If CBS and NBC have their own classic TV subchannels, ABC has a classic comedy subchannel and Fox has a classic movie subchannel, why not the CBC? All these classic TV subchannels are available in the U.S. but not one in Canada.

Click to expand...

I think one issue with this besides CRTC is what really is considered "classic television" in/from Canada ?? Old hockey games ?? Red Green ?? SCTV ?? King of Kensington ?? Wojeck ?? That kiddie show "Rosie" from the early 70's that featured Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner and John Candy before they hit it big in America ?? True that some of those shows were CTV productions however in the past I have seen postings on other sites by a number of Canadians always saying how great TV is in America but they really don't say a whole lot about their own TV.

Current Canadian tv is very good. Shows like Murdoch Mysteries and Kim's Convenience draw huge audiences. Former shows like Corner Gas and Little Mosque On The Prairie also did very well. Our own shows are really starting to draw large audiences, when I was growing up, it was kind of embarrassing to admit to watching Canadian shows. Now I actually hear people talking about Canadian made shows. Our repetitive ads are what make Canadian tv terrible. You'll see the same 5 ads almost every break. Only 20 to 30 distinct ads air on Canadian television on any given day...half of them are dry life insurance ads that just suck every last bit of energy out of the room.

Last time I checked, "Murdoch Mysteries," which I understand is filmed in Toronto,
is on in Phoenix in the midnight to 2 am time slot... So much for drawing "huge"
audiences.

Canada has produced some good shows. Two of my favorites, off the top of my head, were The Hilarious House of Frightenstein and Street Legal, which was an excellent series.

Of course they had some dogs, too. Anyone remember The Trouble with Tracy?

Bronx

Me-TV and Antenna don't run Green Acres and Gilligan's Island because they were such wonderful shows. It's that they trigger nostalgia in their audiences... and they're inexpensive to run. That's why NBC (Cozi) and CBS (Decades) now have their own classic TV diginets. The CBC and SRC produced plenty of programming over the years that would work just as well as a new revenue source for little cost, as a diginet, for folks who don't want to pay for cable but just rely on over-the-air signals.

Bronx said:

Canada has produced some good shows. Two of my favorites, off the top of my head, were The Hilarious House of Frightenstein and Street Legal, which was an excellent series.

Of course they had some dogs, too. Anyone remember The Trouble with Tracy?

Bronx

Click to expand...

Or that Toronto version of American Bandstand hosted by Alex Trebek long before Jeopardy or even High Rollers called Music Hop. Trebek hated the kids and the music but still hosted. Must had needed the money I guess.

The Trouble with Tracy...I remember that one. However it was just as bad as what American TV was cranking it at the time. "From a Birds Eye View" eh ??

Prescott Joe said:

Last time I checked, "Murdoch Mysteries," which I understand is filmed in Toronto,
is on in Phoenix in the midnight to 2 am time slot... So much for drawing "huge"
audiences.

Click to expand...

Murdoch's ratings in Canada are excellent. We're talking about CANADIAN tv, not phoenix. It's a top 20 show weekly nationwide in Canada. They're concerned about the Canadian ratings, not the American ones. Just like how American shows don't care about our ratings. The show airs at 8 pm Monday's in Canada and the last rated episode was the 12th most watched show in the country.

Usually but not always, Canadian and American television tastes run about
the same. "Murdoch Mysteries" is one case where the two are quite different...