SKINNY BASIC LAUNCH: Slimmed down TV packages promise choice, affordability

GATINEAU – The arrival of skinny basic TV programming packages and pick-and-pay options on Tuesday mark a “new era of choice for Canadian television viewers”, according to the CRTC.Effective immediately, all licensed television service providers must offer an affordable basic package (a.k.a skinny basic) costing no more than $25 per month, not including equipment. The package must include local and regional television stations such as CBC, CTV and Global, channels of public interest like the Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC) and Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), educational channels, community channels, and services operated by provincial legislatures, where available.The basic package...