The local Canadian TV stations started off broadcasting over the air and made money via advertisements. When the Cable Companies started out, they re-broadcast the local channels on cable for convenience. Everyone was happy until advertising revenue started to fall because of competition with other entertainment sources available (ex. Internet, personal devices, video game consoles).
The “local” stations have had it pretty good up until now: all they had to do was re-broadcast shows already available on the American channels while throwing in local news and the occasional slot for shows like Kinsmen Jackpot Bingo (here in Manitoba). Kinsmen Jackpot Bingo has its roots from a pre-Internet time. There’s no reason it couldn’t be done online, other than the fact that older people may not be Internet savvy, a problem that could be solved with the local cable access channel.
As I see it, there are three ways to solve this problem:
1. Make Local TV a Package, Not Part of Basic Cable.
Take CTV, Global and CITY (I’m basing the channels on Winnipeg, add others for other cities) out of the basic package and put them in a local package. Viewers can pay extra for the package and then the networks can be paid fees based on the subscriptions.
Even better, give networks the option of being in basic without fees, or in the local package with fees.
2. Ditch The “Local” Channels.
Get rid of the local channels. The cable company could then contract out for local news and broadcast it “over-top” when the American channels have their local news. They could contract out to several companies and use a different one on each different American channel. We would end up with basically the same thing we have now, without the “local” channels.
3. The “Local” Channels Could Produce Local and Canadian Content
Here’s an ingenious idea: HOW ABOUT BROADCASTING SOME ORIGINAL CONTENT! (sorry about the caps).
Why can’t we produce some interesting content? We have the technology. It’s not as expensive as it used to be. Even the average Joe can produce something more interesting than what the “local” stations pass for Canadian content. Our current situation is an embarrassment.
Why do Canadians always make themselves second class citizens when it come to Entertainment and the Arts? We have some brilliant Canadian minds here. Let’s start investing in them. Canadians need to be proud: We’re not so prudish and not so middle of the road like our American counter parts. Yet we suffer from low self-esteem and let jock man keep talking when we have something interesting to say.
What’s Still Good
In spite of some of my negativity towards the networks, I must applaud the following:
- some of the national networks like Discovery and Show Case for good Canadian Content
- the Cable Companies and the CBC for CPAC
- the Cable Companies for public access television
- the CBC for interesting talk radio that is not laced with right-wing rhetoric
That’s my opinion, for what it’s worth. Give me a penny.