Ala carte?

[wolfjc]

This is from Canada.
Does any one think that this can happen here in the USA?

Customers frustrated with paying for television channels they don't want can expect more flexible packages in light of a new ruling by Canada's broadcast regulator, though exactly how it will work has not been stated.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has ruled in favour of proposals made by Bell Media and Telus Corp. to adopt a more flexible TV package model.

"In this decision, one of our main criteria was flexibility and innovation in the packaging," said Denis Carmel, a spokesman for the CRTC.

Carmel said that while individual channels may cost more under the new model, consumers' bills may go down because they will be paying for fewer channels.

The CRTC could not provide details about the terms of the agreement, which is confidential. Both the regulator and media companies repeatedly used the words "flexible" and "flexibility" to describe it, though.

The ruling reflects a marketplace that is moving towards more flexible packaging, where consumers only have to pay for what they want, Carmel said.

"In the old days there were huge packages where to get one channel you might have to pay for many more," he said.

"More and more, the offerings are such that you have more flexibility as a consumer to select what you really want and not have to pay for channels that you may not watch."

Kevin Crull, president of Bell Media, called the decision a victory for consumers.

"The CRTC has sent a very clear signal that it supports carriage arrangements that will deliver more packaging flexibility to consumers," Crull said.

© The Canadian Press, 2012

 

[Bobby]

This has been discussed ad nauseum here many times. The bottom line is that it will cost you the same amount of money to get 10 channels as it would 100. Providers are in it to make money, not lose it.

 

[Mr Tony]

oh boy......I did edit the title to ala carte...dont know who Al Carte is

Anywho...Canada has been doing it for years. You could get themes and even channels signally. Does it cost less? sometimes. But the providers end up putting same type chanenls in different themes requiring you to get more than one. Example is sports. Providers have 2 or even 3 different themes of sports channels. When I had Shaw Direct (Sta Choice) I could get themes or even 1 channel of a theme

The other thing is channels in Canada are classified by 3 types
required (basic)
Category A (use to be Category 1)
Category B (use to be Category 2)

and now there is a Category C

Basic is channels that all companies carry (cbc, src, ctv, american nets etc)
Category A service is a Canadian specialty television channel which, as defined by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, must be carried by all digital cable and direct broadcast satellite providers that have the capability to do so.
Category B service (formerly Category 2) is a Canadian specialty television channel which, as defined by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, may be carried, optionally, by all digital cable television and direct broadcast satellite providers.
Category C are news/sports channels that use to be protected from competition but now is not

Cat A channels HAVE to be carried if there is room and usually are not allowed to be purchased separately (like HGTV, Comedy, Discover)
Cat B channels can be carried and are subject to be able to purchase separately (think what folks call "niche" channels)
Cat C is news/sports channels and are usually in basic packages (TSN, CTNEws, SportsNet, CBC NewsWorld)

In the US every channel pretty much is int he same category. Every station has the right to be carried by the provider. None have to be carried

will alacarte happen here? Doubt it. Check the hundreds of threads here that debate the same thing

 

[navychop]

Sad but true.

 

[Mr Tony]

in fact do this

go to shawdirect.ca and play with the programming area. You can see the prices and what it costs. Great example is this
basic package (essentials) is 47.69
for $12 more you can pick 3 themes from a group of 13 different "themes"
BUT...if you pay $15 more you get 7 theme of channels (they already have them chosen) with the basic as a package deal...sure you can add themes if you want for $5 more

So if you're like me and want just sports I can pay
47.69 for basic
5.00 for sports
5.00 for more sports

yup....sports gives me NFL Net, Golf, TheScore, OLN, Speed and TSN2 (TSN is in basics)
but I want Big10 & NHL Net.....oops. Not in that package. Gotta pay $5 more for ESPN Classic, WFN, Big10, NHL, and Gol

so 57.69 and all I have is sports and the basics
But if I pay $5 more to get a package I get much more variety including alot of what we call basic cable channels. A&E, CNN, HGTV, TLC, Food, E!, Discovery, HLN etc..and it includes the sports package above (the 1st one) and more. I wuld have to add the 2nd sports one for Big10 and such but a package deal from the getgo is a better "deal" than paying separate

Although I do like that I can get some channels added on for a buck

 

[MikeD-C05]

Why I don't think ala carte will ever happen using traditional cable or satellite providers, I do see it happening over the internet. By not allowing smaller programming theme packs like Canada has or even true ala cart like the Big satellite C band dish companies used to , this will bring the entire model crashing down in a few more years. The younger generation is not subscribing to either cable or satellite. They simply don't see the reason to buy it. As the older generation of paid tv subscribers die out , this will accelerate . The only way some tv subs are staying on now is by subbing to life line cable or life line satellite packs . The DISH Welcome pack was even brought back for all subs due to the poor economy. If you have internet access to dsl or broadband, you can get a sub to Netflix and to Hula or Hula plus and you wouldn't even need a cable or satellite provider at all for video. Concurrently I see satellite companies like DISH having to cut their made up , charge it because we can , DISH fees to help compensate for the price hikes that will keep coming due to companies lik AMC , VIacom and last but not least ESPN/ DISNEY, who continue to jack their fees to be carried every other year. NO the future is not sustainable for the existing cable/satellite model as it is today. Ala cart is one way to help keep it going,but that will mean change in regulations by the FCC and others who make the rules for cable and satellite.

 

[DishSubLA]

The USA is far more "free market" Capitalistic than Canada. Our government isn't going to hand out fines and citations to businesses because their signs aren't in the French Language, or any particular language. That rings a bit too much of 1930's Germany for our taste and constitution. It aint going to be the US Govt. here doing much regarding changing things at the MVPD's as Canada is a "protectionist" state who had refused to keep letting in known individuals with link to terrorism into Canada because those people than cross into the USA. Canada basically told us to get lost. Too many Canadian elected officials have open hostility towards the USA and its "culture" eroding Canada's, and Crash Test Dummies getting a FREE LUNCH (and dinner) paid for by the Canadian taxpayers just because the band was seen as promoting and preserving "Canadian Culture" to counter the USA influence in Canada. Will the Canadian Govt. lift the ban on a great amount of USA TV shows (no such restriction in the USA against any Canadian programming) that seem to be in high demand by the Canadian people simply because the Canadian Govt. don't want Canadian airwaves to be filled and dominated by MORE POPULAR USA programming. All of that is why the USA probably won't follow Canada's "lead."

However, it is the MARKET here in the USA in the form of OTT (On-line services) and alternatives via internet is creating the push for traditional MVPD's to start looking at doing business differently. Charter Communications now considers themselves to be PRIMARILY and ISP company, and all the other cable companies see their future as ISP's, not providers of TV services. We have to wait to see what the market decides, and that is the preferable route. Let's not forget that pay-TV is an optional luxury service, not a food staple, and as such ought to let the market decide how things will be.

 

[osu1991]

The general consumer is getting close to the breaking point. Consumers can't keep absorbing 20% - 30 % rate increases by programmers that want to bundle 17 or 26 (Viacom counting) channels. The broadcasters have diluted the market, with all their crap niche channels that only show a loop of 4-6 hrs of programming a day.
I think the major channels like espn, tnt, etc.. will stay on sat/cable in the future and the media conglomerates will have to give a rate reduction to account for carriage of only a couple of channels via sat/cable and take all the niche programming for channels like We, IFC, Nicktoons, etc.. to Hulu Plus, Netflix or other online ventures.
I'm afraid in another 5-7 yrs just a basic entry package is going to be near $100 and at that price I know I will be out. It's not worth it to me for 4-5 channels and the broadcast nets, which I can already receive for free with an antenna.

 

[MikeD-C05]

The general consumer is getting close to the breaking point. Consumers can't keep absorbing 20% - 30 % rate increases by programmers that want to bundle 17 or 26 (Viacom counting) channels. The broadcasters have diluted the market, with all their crap niche channels that only show a loop of 4-6 hrs of programming a day.
I think the major channels like espn, tnt, etc.. will stay on sat/cable in the future and the media conglomerates will have to give a rate reduction to account for carriage of only a couple of channels via sat/cable and take all the niche programming for channels like We, IFC, Nicktoons, etc.. to Hulu Plus, Netflix or other online ventures.
I'm afraid in another 5-7 yrs just a basic entry package is going to be near $100 and at that price I know I will be out. It's not worth it to me for 4-5 channels and the broadcast nets, which I can already receive for free with an antenna.

When basic cable become $100.00 for like the top 200 , I'll definitely be out too. That is where we are headed at the present rate by 2020. This simply won't work and it will kill the goose that laid the golden egg. No one will want to pay $100.00 for basic programming before the other various fees, taxes and surcharges are added in. Although I love DISH satellite for my receivers and tv service , I will cut the cord if it continues to go up . I can remember 16 years ago that $19.99 was for the top 40 channels back then. Now the top 200 is around $59.99 and I know that by next February we WILL see another price hike and God only knows how much this time. I can remember price hikes in the $8.00 range a few years back and the last Price hike we got was two years ago and it was the second large one in a row. This was done in order to give all DISH subs the so called "Price FREEZE" we have had for the last year and a half.

I'm not knocking the DISH company on the price they are being forced to charge due to these ongoing price hikes forced by companies like Cablevison/Voom or Viacom, or Espn/Disney. I knock DISH on their made up, charge it because we can DISH fees , that they continue to maintain and grow every few years. Now their latest trick is to roll all the smaller fees into one big fee ,so people won't see them as numerous fees. The latest is to roll the multi-view fee in with the Dvr fee so there is only one $10.00 dvr fee on the hopper. This is being done in preparation for I'm sure an increase in the dvr fees charged on the Vip series of receivers, to can you guess? Ten dollars.

Ala carte would go along way to help keep the prices down on the channels that would remain due to the now real competition. Forcing the un-bundling of channels for retransmission fees would help too. For instance, instead of Espn saying we will pull all the Espn channels and Abc and Disney too ,since one company owns them all, they would have to negotiate each channel on it's own with no forced bundling. The other thing that the FCC could do, is force ARBITRATION on all companies when they couldn't agree and no removal of channels from the service, unless that is what the arbitration calls for it. For instance the company simply can't bear the cost of the price hike and the arbitrator agrees and recommends the removal of the channels. But I'm sure this would be rare ,since it would defeat the whole reason why an arbitrator would be needed.

IF ala carte and other ideas I've mentioned aren't adopted in the next few years, we can all expect more of the same disputes and dropped channels as well as more cord cutting by the general public. That won't stop the channel providers from still asking more and more money from the remaining subs who stay with cable and satellite. This will continue to push the price for basic cable/satellite into the stratosphere. It's only a matter of time before this whole model collapses.

 

[The Fat Man]

What people seem to forget is that yes, if you want everything then it will cost the same. But, for those of us who don't need the entire Discovery Suite, kids channels, etc. you do save some cash. I could live with Just ESPN. I don't need ESPN 2 or U, or Classic. In TSNs case, TSN2s really big contribution for me is that it provides the American NHL game of the night from NBC Sports.

 

[riffjim4069]

I would just as soon pay X amount of dollars to watch the 15-20 channels we actually watch in order to see the other 200+ channels wither on the vine and die so the bandwidth can be use for other purposes. Good content will survive...200+ channels playing 8-10 hours per day of commercials and infomercials (not to mention the same dated content from the '70s-'00s and recylced broadcast network shows of questionable quality).

What really burns my bisquits is having to subscribe to the highest programming tier just to watch the 2-3 channels many people have to watch, along with how ESPN charges $3-$4 for every digital basic subscriber...especially the people who don't even watch sports programming!

People can elect to subscribe to the programming mega-paks if they wish since they do provide the best value...just don't "make" people subscribe to them through deceptive and pricey bundling schemes. While we may enjoy AMC, we don't want it bundled with IFC and WE. Likewise, I would rather my money go to programming I actually watch instead of BET and MTV. I'm sure the BET and MTV fans feel likewise.

Anyway, these points have been raised many times in the past. So far the FCC has been unwilling to stop this bungling (i.e., bundling) madness. Fortunately, the Internet may help solve some of these issues. We shall see...

 

[Arse69]

Back before Directv & Dish, customers on C-band could pick and choose. Even when Dish first launched, it had a pick ten channel pkg fpr $20. A handful of channels drive up the cost everyone ( mostly sports). So it can be done, if there is a big consumer demand for it

 

[David Taylor]

You *CAN* get a la carte programming now in a sense: just cut the cable and subscribe to seasons of shows from iTunes. Because Dish dropped AMC, I'm getting to see first-hand how well this works.

As soon as I can get an a la carte sports package, I'm switching to it. Sports is the only reason that I keep Dish and don't just use Netflix/iTunes for everything.

 

[Scherrman]

I find it funny when people complain about how companies have too many different channels that are niche. You are the same people that keep asking when Dish will add more channels or beg for a channel when it first comes out. I don't find it much different than Fearnet. That is a niche channel but people want it.

Satellite TV was all about people being able to get the channels they wanted that no one else carried. Everyone gets the specific channels they want but they also have to get some other channels they don't care for. Then complain about the other niche channels because they don't watch them.

 

[patmurphey]

What internet provider has the bandwidth to allow every customer to stream HDTV ala carte every night during prime time? It is a hideously inefficient way to distribute TV.

Just sayin...

 

[Mr Tony]

Back before Directv & Dish, customers on C-band could pick and choose. Even when Dish first launched, it had a pick ten channel pkg fpr $20. A handful of channels drive up the cost everyone ( mostly sports). So it can be done, if there is a big consumer demand for it

actually it was $10 originally then went to $15

 

[Mr Tony]

What really burns my bisquits is having to subscribe to the highest programming tier just to watch the 2-3 channels many people have to watch, along with how ESPN charges $3-$4 for every digital basic subscriber...especially the people who don't even watch sports programming!

well to throw it the other way why do I have to pay for all those chick flick men hating networks?
Why do I have to pay for lifetime, lifetime movies, lifetime real women, own, we, oxygen?

When the Viacom networks left most of us really didnt care because the channels we dont watch.

 

[gpollock87]

I find it funny when people complain about how companies have too many different channels that are niche. You are the same people that keep asking when Dish will add more channels or beg for a channel when it first comes out. I don't find it much different than Fearnet. That is a niche channel but people want it.

Satellite TV was all about people being able to get the channels they wanted that no one else carried. Everyone gets the specific channels they want but they also have to get some other channels they don't care for. Then complain about the other niche channels because they don't watch them.

i don't complain about any channels we have or that may be added. sounds like the word is getting around about fearnet

 

[jerryez]

When I got my channels ala carte on the c band dish. I think that I paid $1 or $1.50 per channel for most basics. I only subscribed to 5 channels, so I did save money. Most people though want 20 or more channels, so a package deal would save them money.

Of course the best deal was before they scrambled everything and even HBO was free. Good things never last.

 

[navychop]

When I got my channels ala carte on the c band dish. I think that I paid $1 or $1.50 per channel for most basics. I only subscribed to 5 channels, so I did save money. Most people though want 20 or more channels, so a package deal would save them money.

Of course the best deal was before they scrambled everything and even HBO was free. Good things never last.

We'll never see costs like that again.