Pick & Pay - CRTC

[Meowmix]

Hey guys!

So the CRTC just announced that the Pick & pay will go ahead & basic package will be $25 & then pick & pay after that, What are your views on this topic? I for one am happy about this & hopefully Rogers goes through with it in Sept. 

Source = http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/pick-and-pay-crtc-to-unveil-changes-to-how-tv-channels-are-packaged-...

*****Edited labels*****

[Meowmix]

Hello @BHS-London

Unfortunately the pick and pay doesn't go in affect until December. Until then we have the Starter pack u can get. You would need to purchase the Starter pack from Rogers which is $24.99 a month. You also need to pay extra for any HD box or normal box as well. Here is the link below on the Rogers site that shows it.

https://www.rogers.com/consumer/tv/starter-package

[BHS-London]

Meowmix, thank you for passing this along.

Your information does not surprise me.    I wonder why?  🙂

$25 a month (=$300 a year) + hardware just to put my toe in the water?   Not very likely.

I have finally been weaned off cable TV and was curious about possibly returning.   It seems

to me that this is an opportunity for some one with the requisite skills to acquire a lot of

customers by creating an "internet tuner" with a remote.   Canadians are gradually seeing

some reasonable internet speed and bandwidth.   Just a matter of time, and I suspect that 

Rogers and company are giving some entrepreneur all the time they might need.

Thank you again for your infrmation.

[OLDYELLR]

Hello @BHS-London

Even the Starter Package is more expensive and has more channels than it looks like you're willing to pay for. Cable TV is an addiction and kudos to you for having shaken it.

Have you looked into an OTA antenna? It's a reasonable one time cost and should get you the channels you need (but no cable-only channels).  And since you have the Internet, there's a whole world of "TV" out there you can send to your set using an Android box.

[OLDYELLR]

According to this news article, CRTC has received nearly 600 complaints since the "skinny basic" was introduced. They're mainly about lack of choice, expensive add-ons and very poor value. The cable companies are making up for the low price by charging for STBs and what used to be free digital adapters, so in the end there's little difference from basic cable, other than fewer channels. Did anyone really think this would be some kind of killer deal?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-skinny-basic-tv-1.3494583

[lockdown2341]

A lot of people did. They all think when they raise a fuss and complain to make changes that it results in money being saved. People didn't like three year contracts on wireless; okay so carriers dropped it to 2 years, but now their plans are more expensive because phones are just as expensive, if not more, then they used to be. This is no different. They all thought money would be saved because they only need to pay for channels they want. No one seemed to put it together in their head that channels are less expensive in bundles then they are seperately and are crying about how pricey it is.

[OLDYELLR]

You get what you pay for and you have to pay for what you get. The Government and regulating bodies can legislate all kinds of "free" or "cheap" stuff, but you still pay for it in the end. People end up electing political parties promising free stuff all the time because they're bad a math and trust politicians. Has your Hydro bill gone down because of all the "free" wind power? Didn't think so.

[Gdkitty]

Bigest thing that i have seen.. that the complaints are mostly coming from people wanting 20+ channels.

Most of the people who were wanting the SAME as they are getting, for less.  That is not what this was designed for.
It was designed for people wanting LESS, and then paying for less..  instead of having no option but to pay more.

Any HOPEFULLY will get a little better with full pick and pay.


(and the wind power has NEVER been about saving money.  It COSTS money if anything in the long run.  But thats not the point.  The point is to use a CLEANER option.. not necessarily CHEAPER)

[OLDYELLR]

I believe the disappointment comes from that fact that such a large proportion of skinny basic is the mandatory nanny channels few people actually watch.

[jays77]

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@Gdkitty wrote:

Bigest thing that i have seen.. that the complaints are mostly coming from people wanting 20+ channels.

Most of the people who were wanting the SAME as they are getting, for less.  That is not what this was designed for.
It was designed for people wanting LESS, and then paying for less..  instead of having no option but to pay more.

Any HOPEFULLY will get a little better with full pick and pay.


(and the wind power has NEVER been about saving money.  It COSTS money if anything in the long run.  But thats not the point.  The point is to use a CLEANER option.. not necessarily CHEAPER)

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True.  A better anology might be the situation in my city were the water co. advetised and provided ways to save on high cost of water usage.  A couple of years later they blamed  a price increases on not enough water being used to cover the cost of maintenance and wages etc. 

The same with Pick and pay.  The fewer channels being finaced by everyone the higher each of those channels will cost subscribers who want them to cover the the expense of provideing them.

[Cap07]

So it's a win-win situation for someone then.

[RogersRoland]

Hey Community,

We will be hosting our Ask an Expert event on Rogers Starter Cable Package this Wednesday April 6th, 2016. This event will allow you to ask all the questions you may have about the new Starter Cable Package. 

Join the conversation.

[leprecaun28]

I dropped from VIP to basic and had the digital adpater for my second TV. That was until I noticed a 7.49 fee on my next bill. I called in and complained and it was reversed and I took the adapter back to the store.

[OLDYELLR]

It actually looks like the mandated skinny basic and soon to come Pick & Pay opened a can of worms and the customer turns out to be the loser. Here is a good story on how this has happened.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/crtc-skinny-basic-tv-1.3527766

[Gdkitty]

In the end, these are things which unforunately will drive people back to keep the bigger packages 
(which is what Rogers, etc will want).

The number of cables boxes you can have on the pacakges (full or dta's).. etc.. is all based on the pacakage.

VIP you can have up to 6.. but some of the previous BASIC pacages.. it was only 1-2.
Even with those.. if you wanted more.. you had to pay an additional fee.

Because the fees for those additional 'outlets' is not included in the pacage.

[spidey11]

I have looked on the rogers site and can not find anything regarding the new crtc package. the idea sounds good . as a senior on a limited income it would be helpful. I did find something unusual as I was researching the subject, it seems that Netflix does not list rogers or bell Canada as a service provider.. if that's true, how do get Netflix in Canada?

[Lurker]

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@spidey11 wrote:
I have looked on the rogers site and can not find anything regarding the new crtc package. the idea sounds good . as a senior on a limited income it would be helpful. I did find something unusual as I was researching the subject, it seems that Netflix does not list rogers or bell Canada as a service provider.. if that's true, how do get Netflix in Canada?

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1.  The CRTC mandated 'skinny basic' package is called the "Starter" package.  Look for that name on Rogers website.

2.  Netflix is simply a web-based service.  All you need is internet, provided by anybody (Rogers, Bell, TekSavvy, Explornet...it doesn't matter), and a device able to open the Netflix site (like a smart TV, smart Blu-ray player) etc to watch Netflix on your TV.

[OLDYELLR]

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@spidey11 wrote:
Netflix does not list rogers or bell Canada as a service provider.. if that's true, how do get Netflix in Canada?

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As Lurker said, Netflix is Internet based and you have to subscribe, about $10/month plus tax. You can get it on your computer or Smart TV.  Canadian Netflix is a watered-down version of U.S. Netflix. Rogers has Shomi for $1 less and less content. They all have the first month free if you cancel within a month.

[SNipe1]

Any updates?  This is supposed to be possible now, but how do I find where I can add single channels to my existing account?

[Gdkitty]

Other than in select ones which were already that way.  You cant.

Pick and pay, does not apply to any already existing or bundled plans.

To be able to fully pick and choose single channels, you need to start off with the basic starter plan ($25 for like 20 some odd canadian channels), then can add single ones ontop.

[ChrisWRea]

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@Gdkitty wrote:

Other than in select ones which were already that way.  You cant.

Pick and pay, does not apply to any already existing or bundled plans.

To be able to fully pick and choose single channels, you need to start off with the basic starter plan ($25 for like 20 some odd canadian channels), then can add single ones ontop.

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Re: the part I made boldface, above. I recently discovered to my own disappointment that what you described is indeed Rogers' current policy. I had wanted to add the new Kids Entertainment pack (with Disney Jr., etc.) to what our family already has (Digital Plus). Multiple Rogers CSRs said we couldn't, i.e. not without moving to one of the newer packages. But, I just don't buy the policy that one must go on Starter, Select, Popular, or Premier just to be able to add a single channel or theme pack now. i.e. they have completely frozen out grandfathered plans from any adds.

It is a plausible sounding policy on the surface, reasonable thing to do for any profit-oriented business. And in any normal business, it would completely be Rogers' prerogative to make that kind of policy. But Rogers are, after all, operating in a regulated industry, and it smacks me as contrary to the spirit of pick-and-pay that they would be able to do such. So I thought: what would the regulator already have said on the subject, if anything?

I discovered that the current Broadcast Distribution Regulations do have something to say on this issue. It isn't definitive, as there is an out in an "except as otherwise..." clause, but I do believe that if no exception has been specifically made then the policy would be in contravention of the Regulations.

I'd like to know what other people think of my line of reasoning. See http://laws.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR-97-555.pdf and go to the "Distribution and Linkage" heading, sections 23 (1) through (4) on labeled page # 41 (actual page #47 in the PDF). Quoting part 23 (4) specifically:

"(4)  Except as otherwise provided under a condition of its licence or these Regulations, a licensee shall not, on or after December 1, 2016,  distribute a programming service or package of programming services such that, in order to obtain that service or package, a subscriber is required to  subscribe  to  an  additional  programming  service  or package of programming services"

Furthermore, I haven't been able to find anything in the Regulations themselves that indicate it is acceptable for Rogers to treat existing grandfathered/bundled plans any different than their in-market plans. The Regulations make no disctinction of in-market vs. grandfathered; all are considered "first-tier offerings".

So, I am expecting that if Rogers have truly been permitted to treat grandfathered plans as an exception, it should be detailed in their license or something else from the CRTC and we shouldn't just have to take Rogers' word for it. I've since asked Rogers to reconcile the policy vis-a-vis section 23 (4) in the Regulations and am awaiting response.

IMHO, if there is no valid exception, and Rogers does not reverse on this policy decision, then a formal complaint could be filed with the regulator. From my reading of the Broadcast Act, the CRTC does have the power to compel Rogers to remedy the situation, if they are found in contravention of Regulations. I really would love to see the pick-and-pay available on the grandfathered plans.

Anyway, has anybody else here had a look at this Rogers pick-and-pay policy from a regulatory standpoint yet? Thanks; peace.

Regards,

Chris W. Rea

[OLDYELLR]

@ChrisWRea Yes, you're finding out how "business" works. The "$25 skinny basic" and pick & pay were forced upon the providers by the CRTC in response to customers' demands.  They found a big loophole and what you're seeing is the result, no free lunch, in fact, less content for more money.  It baffles me that they would go this way instead of trying to stay competitive with our options.