OTTAWA – The CEOs from three of Canada’s biggest broadcasters have thrown their support behind the skinny basic concept, calling it a “consumer-first solution”.
In a press release issued after their appearance at the CRTC hearing Tuesday, CBC, CTV and Global said that a pared down basic television programming package will provide “affordable, accessible, and sustainable TV services for all Canadians.”
"Canadian consumers and TV viewers deserve a choice, and a new affordable bundle of basic TV channels is a start," said CBC president and CEO Hubert Lacroix, in the release. "With a regulated capped rate, Canadians will be protected from fee hikes with a skinny basic bundle of channels, including the local TV channels consumers demand and expect."
CBC originally proposed the idea to the Commission early last month as the solution to affordability if fee-for-carriage is implemented. The idea now seems to have caught on with Canwest and CTV as well.
"Local TV viewers deserve access to the local stations they are already paying for," said Leonard Asper, president and CEO of Canwest Global Communications, in the release. "Our solution will shift the balance towards the consumer, and ensure that viewers can access the local TV they demand."
The release also noted that the majority of the submitted comments to the CRTC, (114,900 of the 173,000 total), were in support of local TV and its right to negotiate a carriage fee with cable and satellite companies.
"Canadians watch local television news and programming and they support it; these consultations have made that loud and clear," said Ivan Fecan, CTVgm’s president and CEO, in the release. "We want to continue to serve Canadian viewers and moving forward with the implementation of a negotiation for value regime now will lay the ground for a level playing field and sustainable future for local TV."
