CRTC; Aug. 31, 2011, Canada must be HD

ah802

CRTC turns down fees for TV networks, but in turns offers broadcasters unlimited time to insert commercials (graduated scale over the next few years). So get ready for too many commericals.... or an alternate source of material. (commercial inserts are the real spoiler for content IMHO). Internet downloads seems closer than ever.

On the upside: The commission said by Aug. 31, 2011, television channels must be broadcast in high definition digital, with the possible exception of remote regions where there are no digital transmitters. I know that doesn't bode well for the wilds in Canada, but I'll bet by that time, there will be so much HD hardware available... that if you're not targeting HD eyeballs, you don't have a viable business.

Small aside: The CRTC said under a new policy, English and French-language broadcasters must caption all programs between 6 p.m. and midnight for the hearing impaired.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNew...=Entertainment

ah802

From the Reuters story (they fact check), it looks like the date for dropping analog is correct, but there's no mention of HD broadcast.. just digital, which is what I would have expected.

http://ca.today.reuters.com/news/new...archived=False

Some critical excerpts:

The CRTC also set August 31, 2011, as the official date by which Canadian broadcasters will need to complete their shift from analog to digital signals.

Yukky commercials: (show enough, and everyone will turn off their sets)

The CRTC said that the move from the current 12 minutes- per-hour primetime advertising limit to a completely market-driven model aims to give broadcasters additional revenue to deal with increasing competition from cable channels, new media and other emerging digital platforms. Commission said it will progressively remove restrictions on advertising-time limits for broadcasters, with the ultimate goal of removing all such restrictions by September 1, 2009.

Cable companies: (They, get to charge but don't have to pay)

CRTC aided conventional broadcasters by opening the door to more ads, it denied them on another front, shooting down a request that they receive fees from cable and satellite services for carriage of their TV signals.

Somehow, I don't think Canadian broadcasters are hard done by.

BrianO

Actually the specified HD (rather than just digital) mandate is correct. The strategy adopted in Canada was/is to go straight to HD first with other digital formats later and for market forces rather than regulation to dictate the pace. This is one of the reasons the process has ground to a halt and has necessitated the intervention of the CRTC to attempt to force the issue. The major feet draggers have been CTV and their ever expanding empire with their "sign up with Bell ExpressVu if you want HD" attitude. One just has to look at who owns ExpressVu (BCE) and who owns CTV (BCE) to see why. The CRTC has neither the legal clout nor the political will of the FCC and has been sitting idly by until now. Let's hope they don't chicken out and postpone the deadline to 3011.

BrianO

Further reseach indicates that digital rather than just HD is more appropriate. The CDTV advisory group that made the "HD first" decision was disbanded last August. The actual CRTC announcement* concerning August 31, 2011 stated "digital and HD".



* The CRTC website is so badly organized with out-of-date links etc. that finding anything on it is haphazard at best.

ah802

At this point the CRTC is a hindrance to Canadian Broadcasters and Canadians in general. Protecting market position, and parceling out bandwidth to the elite; instead of fostering Canadian content seems to be their bag. This tip toeing into HD is going to be the ruin of the industry, and unlimited commercial time will bring content to it's knees.

Wake-up Canada!