NO US HD feed of Super Bowl on Bell

[Satellite Expert]

CTV filed a complaint against Bell, Star Choice and Shaw Cable to prevent them from showing US HD feeds of the 2009 Super Bowl. Bell and Shaw Cable were found to be in violation of CRTC simsub regulations.

Star Choice was found not to be in violation due to their Vitual Channel Override (VCO) system and only viewers within 50 miles of the CN Tower in Toronto will be simsubbed for the Super Bowl. It was nice to see that the CRTC agreed with Star Choice - only viewers within the Grade B contour of an OTA signal need be simsubbed.

Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-358

 

[Mr Tony]

CTV filed a complaint against Bell, Star Choice and Shaw Cable to prevent them from showing US HD feeds of the 2009 Super Bowl. Bell and Shaw Cable were found to be in violation of CRTC simsub regulations.

Isnt CTV & BellTV owned by same people? if so, quite interesting

Star Choice was found not to be in violation due to their Vitual Channel Override (VCO) system and only viewers within 50 miles of the CN Tower in Toronto will be simsubbed for the Super Bowl. It was nice to see that the CRTC agreed with Star Choice - only viewers within the Grade B contour of an OTA signal need be simsubbed.

no simsubs here in Ft Frances, Ontario But it is nice to see SC win something from the CRTC

 

[lern4483]

CTV filed a complaint against Bell, Star Choice and Shaw Cable to prevent them from showing US HD feeds of the 2009 Super Bowl. Bell and Shaw Cable were found to be in violation of CRTC simsub regulations.

Star Choice was found not to be in violation due to their Vitual Channel Override (VCO) system and only viewers within 50 miles of the CN Tower in Toronto will be simsubbed for the Super Bowl. It was nice to see that the CRTC agreed with Star Choice - only viewers within the Grade B contour of an OTA signal need be simsubbed.

Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2008-358

Not sure i understand? Can someone put this in laymans terms.

 

[Mr Tony]

its pretty spelled out in the pdf but for a simpler term

Apparently some providers showed the US feed of the Super Bowl in HD (and commercials) last year when they were suppose to simsub it with the CTV feed.

simsub

In Canada, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission allows Canadian television broadcasters to require simultaneous substitution of their channel for U.S. channels when they choose to simulcast a show; consequently, they often do choose to do so. Although sometimes controversial, this practice is seen as a way to protect the broadcast rights and commercial revenues of Canadian television broadcasters, by ensuring that the Canadian commercials are seen by nearly all viewers of the program.[citation needed]

For example, Global airs several popular American series such as The Simpsons. With simultaneous substitution, Global can ensure that advertisements purchased on their network are seen by nearly all Canadians watching the show at that particular time, rather than losing advertising revenue because some viewers were seeing the FOX affiliate's commercials instead. This issue is at its most controversial during the Super Bowl, where the simsub rules usually block Canadian audiences from seeing the American commercials that they would see in the course of an American network broadcast during the Super Bowl.

Simsubs can only occur when a local and a non-local station are airing identical programming. Using the Simpsons example above, Global can only simsub a FOX affiliate airing the same episode of The Simpsons in the same time slot (hence "simultaneous"). The network cannot simsub if FOX is airing a different episode, and it cannot simsub a FOX affiliate airing the show at a different time. Therefore Canadian viewers should not lose any content from other, non-simsubbed programs; however, this is only true if the cable, satellite, or MDS distributor performs the substitution accurately. If they mistake the start or end time, or even channel, of a broadcast or if the time is unexpectedly changed (for example, due to a long-running sportscast before it), viewers may lose out.

so basically if you lived within range of the CTV HD channel (Toronto & Vancouver), you should be simsubbed with the CTV feed over the Fox feed.

But according to what I read there were some glitches

Shaw apparently simsubbed only one feed (Fox-W) when it should have been both

CTV whined that Starchoice should have simsubbed everyone when Starchoice did what the simsub rule says you're suppose to do....simsub the game if you live near Toronto (they dont carry CTV-HD West)

Bell tried to do simsubs like Starchoice (they simsub everyone) but screwed up so some Toronto viewers got the **gasp** Fox feed

The issue with the SB is Canada doesnt get to see the commercials we do in the US. They get other commercials

 

[SatboyZ]

and God are the commercials horrible!

Endless Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire ads...They just don't have the budget to make half decent ones at a $1M plus per. Simsubbing would at least be tolerable if Global (in the past) and CTV could figure out how to do it properly for a live event (not so easy). They cut in and out at the wrong times when a Fox/Cbs promotion comes on in the middle of the game. Thank SC for having regional simsubs that dont affect us 70 miles west of Toronto. Of course, I sub to DN and get Buffalo locals also so we are covered all around.
On a side note, the CRTC is a joke. Take the fact that many hotels (not small ones but chains like the Marriot) in border cities have HBO and other US channels not licensed to be broadcast in Canada and they have to worry about this? A once a year event they have to screw up.

Rant over

Steve

 

[Mr Tony]

very well put Satboyz.....I feel bad for the ones who get simsubbed for it (Bell). I dont have simsubs as I am "in" Ft Frances, ON

 

[scrooloose]

Last year Bell did the Superbowl simsub properly, or at least better than they usually do. They offered a second raw feed to those outside the "simsub zone". I imagine they'll do that again this year.

-Mike

 

[SatboyZ]

Read the ruling...

Bell will not likely have a separate feed - it was part of the original compaint by CTV.
exerpt:
"CTV added that Bell TV also advertised to its subscribers where they could get access to the "unsubstituted" U.S. signals with U.S. Super Bowl commercials intact."

Besides, it would be difficult for them to only "authorize" these channels for out of market subscribers, especially for only one event.

Satboyz

 

[bkwd]

what is particularly annoying is that the 2 HD feeds are in border cities where viewers can get the US feeds without cable/satellite. meanwhile, in Calgary and the rest of Canada (where we don't have such an option), we've lost our Detroit non-simsub of the NFL games, even though Shaw doesn't need to; all just to shut up some whiner CTV runt in Vancouver.
Why do Ontarians keep electing communist/socialist leaders, and act disappointed with this socialist crap being rammed down our throats (and other orifices) as a result?
Anyone arranging a boycott of CTV and their sister companies (i.e. Bell) has my support.

 

[alebowgm]

Isnt CTV & BellTV owned by same people? if so, quite interesting

There was a time when this was true, however the two companies were split so on one hand there is now BCE aka Bell TV, Internet, Phones and such, and on the other hand there is now CTVglobemedia aka CTV and its speciality stations (including TSN) and the Globe and Mail. This happened in 2006, which helps to explain why they don't see eye-to-eye...

Wikipedia answers all of the tough questions... hehe...

 

[bwaldron]

Wikipedia answers all of the tough questions... hehe...

Sometimes even correctly.

 

[peano]

Good thing folks in the GTA can use a relatively small antenna and receive the Buffalo stations OTA. The Canadian simsub of the Super Bowl is painful to watch.

 

[visiter555]

Bell will not likely have a separate feed - it was part of the original compaint by CTV.
exerpt:
"CTV added that Bell TV also advertised to its subscribers where they could get access to the "unsubstituted" U.S. signals with U.S. Super Bowl commercials intact."

Besides, it would be difficult for them to only "authorize" these channels for out of market subscribers, especially for only one event.

Satboyz

Not true... Bell TV does this all the time for Hockey & CFL games. Blackouts exist all the time for specific areas. Only takes two channels. One blacked out in TO and one for everyone else. Bell TV does it really funcky on some games channel "A" blackout the local game in TO, game "B" blacked out in Winnipeg, Game C...and on...

 

[SatboyZ]

I stand by what I said...

Yes you are right they do black out certain games from the CFL and NHL, however, Bell will not go against the CRTC and CTV on this. Rogers did the same thing last year and will not again, especially in Toronto and Vancouver. It is easier for Rogers to possibly not simsub because in TO they carry Buffalo HD channels but outside it is Detroit. They are currently simsubbing CTV/Global/City and other crappy CDN channels in the Big Smoke only while this does not happen in London (Ontario), for example.

Enjoy your football on Bell HD crap TV this weekend - I will be watching the CBS/Fox feeds, probably on Starchoice.

Sorry to be blunt but I hate simsubbing - all it does is line the pockets of major media companies in Canada. A broadcasting license allows you to print money. There is no reason to develop domestic programs when you can hijack US programs. The joke - CDN Idol will not be produced this year, it costs too much for who watches it. Probably just buy US Idol and ram it down your throat.

This costs CDN jobs- take this example:
In the 1990's, the TO Blue Jays were in the playoffs, then the World Series (which they won twice). Everybody I know wanted CTV to have the regular TO commentators for the playoffs, but no, they bought the US rights so it could be simsubbed. Thats right, a game in TO, carried by a US network, picked up by CTV so it could be simsubbed in Canada!

If we lived 20 miles south we could pick up Erie OTA or 20 miles east Buffalo. The truth is most CDN's are lemmings (as mentioned in another post) and blindly accept cable in town or Bell in the country

The insanity continues!

PS was at the Mariott in Niagara Falls Ontario watching HBO (US) over the weekend with our family - the hotel across the street had Showtime also. CRTC where are you?


Some guy that calls himself SatBoyz - where is my Prozac?