[Jay in Cowtown]

Let it be known that I cancelled my Bell ExpressVu subscription this Monday.

Tv is total crap. I don't want to spend $60+ on crapola.

Don't take yer dish down... buy a $100 FTA receiver and enjoy Bell & Dish Network wide open and free of charge, did I just say that out loud? ;)

[harls]

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEAR SLIPPING AND FALLING ANYMORE.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2008/03/13/e031395A.jpg

that damn premier bath commercial annoys me with all the old farts and their old fart spokesman Ed McMahon. Why do they need old people to sell old people junk? Like I would trust this guy just because he's old like me? Same goes for that Chip backwards mortgage dude with the perma-tan... he looks like a leather handbag for god's sakes.

[vid]

You forgot to mention the 20 other walk in tub commercials. :rolleyes:

And there is a new mini-wheats commercial, even more annoying than the last! (Apparently, it is possible.)

Set your phasers to "mute".

[Rico Rommheim]

Why do they need old people to sell old people junk? Like I would trust this guy just because he's old like me?

For the same reason you need young people to sell i-pods and cell phones.


WOULD-N'T IT BE NICE?

[Ayreonaut]

Well you wouldn't have a middle aged guy parading around in a Pampers commercial would you? No, you'd have a baby.

[SpongeG]

there is that commercial for woman who leak and they are middle aged and wear diapers

[Ayreonaut]

Okay I'll try again.

Hmm, you wouldn't have a fat guy that always wears a hardhat advertise pizza would you?

[vid]

You wouldn't have an alcoholic advertise beer, would you? :)

If my dad was in those beer ads instead of the sexy people they have now, alcohol sales would plummet, especially among the younger crowd. :)

[SpongeG]

i don't know they use talking beavers and dead people to pitch some products

[jimj_wpg]

Okay I'll try again.

Hmm, you wouldn't have a fat guy that always wears a hardhat advertise pizza would you?

Men with hardhats and pizza? I don't get the connection. :shrug:

[jimj_wpg]

YOU DON'T HAVE TO FEAR SLIPPING AND FALLING ANYMORE.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/2008/03/13/e031395A.jpg

that damn premier bath commercial annoys me with all the old farts and their old fart spokesman Ed McMahon. Why do they need old people to sell old people junk? Like I would trust this guy just because he's old like me?


Sure hope I age better than Ed. Yowzers he's ancient looking.

[Ayreonaut]

Men with hardhats and pizza? I don't get the connection. :shrug:

Me neither, but Panago sees something. The man wears a hardhat to bbq, wtf?

[MolsonExport]

Ed McMahon has been annoying for years, with his publishers clearing house crap.

But nothing is worse than the Bowel Movement:

But it won't change the fact that BM is the most annoying person on the planet. Ever.

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg
^you get him if you watch Canadian Idol (I never do).

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg
^you get him if you watch E-talk (I never do).

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg
^You get him if you watched the pre-oscars asslickathon (my biggest mistake).

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg
^even if you avoid(ed) all the above, you are bound to see/hear him in regards to a commercial for one of his shows ("You're a Star!") if you ever watch CTV (rare for me, but it happens)

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg
^You get him on the cover of various horrible Canadian magazines (I never buy this dreck, but I see it whilst waiting in line to check out groceries, etc.)

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg
^I can't stand this guy. And they gave him, not one--but TWO television shows!

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg
^one for the road.

[Ayreonaut]

:wah:

[harls]

if you scroll up and down on those muldoons long enough, you become hypnotized.

[MolsonExport]

LfGx39FnlJU

[vid]

Ed McMahon has been annoying for years, with his publishers clearing house crap.

But nothing is worse than the Bowel Movement:

THEIF!

THEIF!

That was MY joke! :no: (post 94 (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=147576&page=5))

[kirjtc2]

That Ben Mulroney post reminded me.

After watching American Idol this week, I figured something out. Here's the apparent mold for all those Idol shows:

* the most annoying host you can possibly find
* minimally talented singers
* loopy judges
* lame production values and gimmicks
* the few decent singers there are get booted early in favour of those that are more marketable or have more sex appeal

Yet, I still find it hilariously entertaining in a train wreck sort of way. Maybe there's something wrong with me. And despite the presence of Bowel Movement, the Canadian version isn't half as lame as the American one.

[MolsonExport]

THEIF!

THEIF!

That was MY joke! :no: (post 94 (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=147576&page=5))


Hey, great minds think alike? I didn't see your post until afterwards, but indeed, you did call him the bowel movement first.

Bowel movement or not, I am sure that we can all agree that Ben Mulroney is full of shit.

[MolsonExport]

Anyone else sick-to-death of the stupid "Scotiabank: You are richer than you think" ad that appears everytime that I go to the movies (with the annoying popcorn letters and sounds)?

[Ayreonaut]

Also, they don't want an mfing breakfast nook!!!!!! Nobody wants a nook!

[harls]

You're richer than you think.. sounds like a mantra for someone that maxes out a credit card and can never pay it back.

[entheosfog]

Sure hope I age better than Ed. Yowzers he's ancient looking.

Well, the guy is, like 130 by now. Or something close to that, I'm sure.

[vid]

A&P has the most annoying radio commercial running right now. Combined with a new "song" from Buckcherry, I have officially stopped listening to commercial radio.

[SpongeG]

does anyone have a "scene" card?

i have got 1 free movie so far and 50 points away from another free one :)

and the discount at the concession is not bad

[harls]

that Joel Matlin from those Alarmforce commercials creeps me out. his arms don't move and he walks towards the camera like he has a stick up his butt. his mouth moves like a muppet, too.

If I were casting for the role of a serial killer, this guy would get top consideration.

[MolsonExport]

ATTENTION! THIS IS THE ALARMFORCE CENTRAL STATION. IDENTIFY YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY! THE AUTHORITIES HAVE BEEN DISPATCHED!

Remember Joel Matlin's Christmas wishes?

[harls]

haha.. if I could find a pic of him with a christmas toque, hello new avatar!

"only alarmforce provides live two-way voice protection, call today"

"ask the competition how many times their rates have increased in the last 20 years, call today"

... and that stupid jingle with the 1-800 number.. 'alaaaarmmm FOOOrrce' followed by a slamming door. Makes me feel safe.

[vid]

I've never seen that Alarm Force ad. :)

But the Canada Education Savings Plan ads are annoying, with the alarm clock going off. :\

[harls]

There we go.

[Rico Rommheim]

Call 1800 2-6-7 2000 AND 1...Al-ARM force!

[harls]

Thud.

[MolsonExport]

There we go.

Great find! :tup:

[harls]

I found a video on his awesome website, freeze framed it on his gaping maw, and photshopped the hat on top. Presto!

[vid]

He has a website? Wow.

[MolsonExport]

When I lived in Montreal, AlarmForce commercials saturated the airwaves (CJAD). Thankfully, they are scarcer in London.

[SpongeG]

call 1-800-88 handy

[MolsonExport]

World's absolutely worst jingle of all time:

"Good things gro-ooohhhh, in Onn-taaaaa-rio!"

-RIM

[harls]

That guy needs to be shot.

[MolsonExport]

^I love that avatar. Just makes me laugh everytime I see it!

[Rathgrith]

^^Its not as bad as the Ontario tourism commercials.

[kirjtc2]

Ah yes, it's almost time for tourism commercials to start polluting our airwaves. I swear the 4 Atlantic provinces have a competition as to which one makes their province look the hokiest.

New Brunswick's have been an embarrassment to the province for years. I remember the one that started with some woman shreaking "WOWWWWWW!", or the country-hoedown style "What everyone's talking about!"

[vid]

The only ones I see are the Newfie ones. "Come to Newfoundland, where every night we rock out to Great Big Sea in a town named after something vaguely sexual!!!" Though some of their commercials are really good. The Ontario ones are mediocre, but not as annoying as "Explore Minnesota! DOT COM!" Fuck, that's an annoying commercial. Some of them have the people with the thickest Minnesota accents ever. "Explar Minnuhsoda! DAWT CAWM!" :rolleyes: Fuck. :P

And the grow Ontario commercials are really annoying. The ugly chick at the end of the supermarket one looks like my aunt Mary, but without the moustache. (No joke.)

[HomeInMyShoes]

^At least you don't believe that the world is still flat. :)

2aRFuguc7bk

There's another one that makes me think the bogeyman is going to come out from behind the fence or the house and a third one states "where is Newfoundland and Labrador? It's about as far away from Disneyland as you can get." Well, so much for enticing children to bring their parents here.

[vid]

Normal people don't care for Disney land. :) I think they're aiming more for the people that don't want to see amusement parks. They want to get knocked up in a trailer in Dildo or Conception Bay. (Dildo, oddly enough, left out of the commercial!?)

And everyone knows the Earth is conical.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Don't get me started on place names. Placentia Bay? Witless Bay? Conception Bay is a body of water. If you're in a trailer you'd probably be in Conception Bay South (CBS).

[vid]

In a trailer! Classy!

[kirjtc2]

As if on cue, New Brunswick has released its tourism campaign for 2008. I guess they forgot 2/3 of the province speaks English.

http://www.gnb.ca/cnb/televox/video/2008tourism60_e.asx

[Acajack]

The ad doesn’t bother me one bit personally, but I’m quite surprised (even astonished) that they would do this. I also noticed that the Acadian flag is the only flag that appears in the entire ad. I don’t believe I saw the New Brunswick flag there.

The song, À la claire fontaine, is one of the most well-known French folk songs in the world, and anyone who speaks French would instantly recognize it. I know New Brunswick is a prime destination for Quebec tourists, but I’m amazed they picked a French song and the “magnifique” tag line for their English campaign.

I’d say we haven’t heard the last of this.

[Rico Rommheim]

By the by people tonight at 8pm on the TBC the H20 sequel will be playing "The Trojan Horse" with Paul Gross. Still directed by Charles Biname!

I actually liked H20, for a Canadian tv-movie it was really top-notch!

[SpongeG]

how many versions of that ontario commercial are there?

i've seen the "country" one and the "urban" one

[vid]

There are 6 or 8 now I think. They seem to be running two at a time.

[Rico Rommheim]

Good news!

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2008/04/01/air-farce.html

Royal Canadian Air Farce set to end
Last Updated: Tuesday, April 1, 2008 | 3:00 PM ET Comments85Recommend161
CBC News
The Royal Canadian Air Farce, one of Canada's longest-running comedy troupes, will be grounded after next season, CBC announced on Tuesday.

The venerable weekly sketch comedy TV show, known for its topical mix of political and social satire, will produce nine regular episodes in the fall before ending with its traditional New Year's Eve gala special.

The cast of CBC-TV's Royal Canadian Air Farce will perform the season finale on Friday.
(Russ Martin/CBC)
"It's just time," original cast member and producer Don Ferguson told CBC News on Tuesday afternoon.

"We've done pretty much everything we wanted to do. The ratings are still good. I want to be in charge of my own exit."

Ferguson also said he didn't consider what day had been chosen for the announcement.

"I didn't even realize it was April 1 that we were doing this, that it was going to come out…. It's not a joke, but it's a great date for us to announce it. April Fool's Day, why not?"

The secret to the show's long run, he added, was keeping the audience the main priority.

"We've only ever worried about [each] week's show and how the audience is going to respond to it," Ferguson said.

"If we can make real, living, breathing Canadians laugh about what's going on in Canada and the world and life in general, it's a great gig."

Radio beginnings

Originating with a Montreal comedy troupe in 1970, Air Farce debuted on CBC Radio in December 1973, eventually producing more than 600 broadcasts over 24 years.

The show was introduced to CBC-TV audiences in 1980, after which came a 10-episode series and several once-a-year TV specials over the next few years.

After the 1992 New Year's Eve special proved popular with viewers, Air Farce became a mainstay of CBC-TV beginning in October 1993. After running on both CBC Radio and CBC-TV, the show moved exclusively to television in 1997.

Last year, to celebrate its 300th episode, the producers, cast and crew staged an hour-long, live-to-air show.

They subsequently decided that, beginning this season, all shows would continue with the live format. In addition to original members Ferguson, Roger Abbott and Luba Goy, the current cast features Penelope Corrin, Jessica Holmes, Craig Lauzon and Alan Park.

Air Farce's current season finale airs Friday.

"We remain in discussions with [producers Abbott and Ferguson] about upcoming projects," said CBC spokesman Jeff Keay.

This show was just plain brain-dead. The impersonations were just pathetically bad and george Bush jokes just aren't funny after 8 years. Good riddance!

[kirjtc2]

That show hasn't been funny since John Morgan died.

[vid]

That show hasn't been funny since John Morgan died.

My thoughts exactly.

[mr.John]

New radio commerical that's really getting on my nerves ....EVER CLEANSE,drano for your colon.

[vid]

The Juno's are on. And I am, apparently, funnier than Russell Peters.

[kirjtc2]

This is the first time I've ever watched the Junos. Are the hosts always this bad?

At least Feist (my favourite female pop singer of the week) is cleaning up.

[Rico Rommheim]

strange because Russel Peters is fuckin' hilarious usually!

[Ayreonaut]

He's a great comedian, I don't think the Junos are on here yet, I might check.

[vid]

Yeah, awards shows always bring out the worst in comedians. :\ They might as well have grabbed some random guy and tried to pass him off as Russell Peters.

[artvandelay]

I thought he did alright, although it would have been hard for him to work his funniest stuff into an awards show. The Chad Kroeger joke was hilarious IMO.

[SpongeG]

radiant city is on CBC newsworld right at this moment...

[MolsonExport]

As bad as the junos might be (did not see it), it is statistically impossible for any awards show to be worse than the recent oscars. I will never get back those 3 hours of my life...

[harls]

The Junos could only be worse if Ben Mulroney hosted. I was rather surprised he didn't, actually, since he is their prodigal "entertainment dude".

Could CTV actually be thinking, "hey, maybe people have had enough of this guy?"

...please?

[kirjtc2]

He did the preshow. Or at least I think he did, I made a point not to watch.

[MolsonExport]

http://images.ctv.ca/archives/CTVNews/img2/20070518/ben_570x250.jpg

[harls]

This image fills me with horrible anger.

[flar]

I wonder what kind of work that Mulroney kid would be doing if not for his powerful old man? Squeegee kid? Sanitary technician?

[crooked rain]

^ people that grating always find a way into the public spotlight to spew their inanity on as much of the general public as possible.

[Ayreonaut]

I still think he looks a lot like Leno in that picture, his head isn't as big though.

[harls]

Just witnessed another craptastic 'brand power' commerical, this time featuring Tums Smoothies where some buffoon gloms a mouthful like it's candy.

AND IT CONTAINS CHALK DUST, SOMETHING YOUR BODY USES ANYWAY

[crooked rain]

I am glad our corporate overloards provide such a valuable service to the public. How else would I find out that there is a new flavour of crackers or a new scent of Fabreeze.

Excuse me now, I must go buy some of these Tums.

[SpongeG]

CRTC turns down bid for superstation

Regulator rejects proposal to offer free high-definition service

Chris Sorensen
Business Reporter

John Bitove, the fast-food franchise executive who founded XM Canada satellite radio, has been dealt a setback after Canada's broadcaster regulator turned down his proposal to offer a free high-definition television service.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ruled against Bitove's HDTV Networks Inc. because it would only offer two hours of local programming in eight cities, compared with 22 hours for current licensees, effectively making it a Canadian "superstation," an independent broadcaster that's carried nationally without paying for programming in local markets.

"The programming strategy associated with such a station is inconsistent with the objectives of the Broadcasting Act and the commission's policies," Michel Arpin, the CRTC's vice-chair of broadcasting, said in a statement yesterday.

"We have never granted a licence for such a conventional television station in the past and did not find any compelling reason to do so at this time."

Bitove, who is also seeking to enter Canada's $12.7 billion cellphone industry, had proposed to broadcast a high-definition signal free over the air and via cable and satellite TV services, effectively creating a new national broadcaster.

But the commission said it was not satisfied with HDTV's local-programming commitment.



HDTV proposed to serve markets in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

Bitove, a former co-owner of the Toronto Raptors, could not be reached for comment.

The CRTC, which yesterday also denied a licence to YES TV Inc. to operate a high-definition service in Toronto, said local programming was an "integral" feature of its conventional television policy.

It noted that other stations and current licensees carry more than 22 hours of local programming per week on average.

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters argued that granting HDTV Networks a licence would give it an unfair advantage, since local programming is expensive.

As well, the association took issue with Bitove's submission that the service would be unique because it would be offered in a high-definition format, arguing that all broadcasters could conceivably be transmitting HD signals by 2011.

In addition to television, Bitove has also expressed an interested in becoming a major player in the telecommunications market after submitting an application to bid on wireless airwaves in an upcoming Industry Canada auction.

He also managed to persuade Microsoft Corp. co-founder Paul Allen to back the bid by Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc.

Bitove's move into the media industry comes as the fast-food business faces headwinds.

Priszm Income Fund, which owns franchised KFC and Taco Bell outlets across Canada and is headed by Bitove, announced a massive restructuring last fall that included closing or selling restaurants.

While Priszm officials said the overhaul was in response to rising costs and marketing missteps, some analysts expressed concern the fund was also at risk of being hurt by people's increasing preference for healthier eating.

http://www.thestar.com/Business/article/410041

[vid]

We should make tv networks use black and white cameras. It's more "Canadian"; reminds us of our history.

[artvandelay]

:hell: I hate the CRTC!

I also hate the Spicy Baconator commercial.

[MolsonExport]

I wonder what kind of work that Mulroney kid would be doing if not for his powerful old man? Squeegee kid? Sanitary technician?


I would suggest that he would be some Montreal guido of no account, although his ethnic heritage is Irish-Serbian.

Not good enough to be a guido, even. Sanitary technician, then.

[Acajack]

Not to inordinately defend the guy, but in the interest of accuracy… Ben Mulroney does have a law degree from Université Laval in Quebec City.

[MolsonExport]

^yep, just like his Daddy. Was his shadow until CTV 'discovered' his many 'talents'.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e308/Cassecroute/bigbadben.jpg

[vid]

He looks so evil! :O

Anyone see the Shamwow commercials yet? Oh, you'll love those. :rolleyes:

[kirjtc2]

http://50yearsofnews.ctv.ca/

Cry me a freakin' river.

[vid]

The cable companies aren't charging for the local tv, that's thrown in free. ;) They don't have to pay to air OLA either.

And I receive my television over the air, although I do have a cable connected to the tv though, as it's running through the ceiling improves our reception. Without it we get nothing.

I like how they make room to mention Dog River. That's just swell!

[kirjtc2]

By the way, I looked up some stats. BBM says in 2006, 9% of Canadians relied on OTA for their TV service. Now, 7% of Canadians live in the city of Toronto.

Is CTV going to tell us almost nobody lives in Toronto?

[harls]

The cable and satellite companies don’t pay anything to your local TV station. That’s like your paper boy delivering the local newspaper to your front door everyday, billing you for it every month, but not returning any portion of his receivables from you—not one cent—to the local paper. Can you imagine that? It just doesn’t make sense.



Why those theiving bastards. The next time I see my paper boy, I'm going to beat my money out of him.

[SpongeG]

did you get the milk?

[SpongeG]

CBC is offering for free until the end of April its new Digital channel "bold" and its documentary channel is free till than as well

http://www.cbc.ca/bold/

i think all "bold" is a rebranded CBC "country"

[vid]

Bold is a rename of Country Canada to reflect how it's programming has changed since Corus dropped out, and documentary is a re-branding of the Documentary Channel. Neither is a new channel, they're just old channels re-named. :P

[SpongeG]

yah they keep saying "NEW" in all the commercials they are running to promote it

[vid]

That's to make you think you're gaining something with the change. :)

[SpongeG]

OutTV files new complaint against Shaw

NATIONAL NEWS / Alleges inequitable treatment hurting subscriber growth

OutTV, Canada's first and only television channel specifically for gay and lesbian people, has filed another complaint with the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) alleging that it is being treated unfairly by cable behemoth Shaw Communications.

OutTV has what the CRTC calls a "category one" digital broadcast licence. That means Canadian cable providers like Shaw must carry OutTV and must package and market it the same way they do for all other category one channels. But while Shaw's "All In" package encourages visitors to Shaw's website to "Get all specialty channels for $26.95 per month," appended fine print reads, "All In includes OutTV by request only."

"If you are a subscriber to Shaw and you call up and say, 'I want all the digital channels,' you don't get OutTV," says OutTV chief operating officer Brad Danks. "You have to say 'I want OutTV as well.' You have to know about OutTV and you have to specifically request it. People who thought they were getting it automatically will find that they're not,"

Shaw's by-request-only caveat is applied to no other category one channel anywhere in Canada and it effectively requires gay and lesbian people, many of whom live in rural Alberta and BC where Shaw does business, to out themselves to Shaw call centre representatives. Also, digital channels like OutTV get paid on a per-subscriber basis. OutTV's exclusion from Shaw's All In deal reduces its revenues.

"We should have probably close to an additional 80,000 subscribers if we were put in a proper package," says Danks. "This would have an impact of close to $35,000 a month or close to $400,000 a year that we would be able to put into Canadian programming."

That's not OutTV's only beef with Shaw. Beginning in early 2007 Shaw moved OutTV's position on the dial twice in a three-month period without even notifying Danks. Originally on channel 100, OutTV was moved to channel 200 and then to channel 370 where it is today. OutTV is a lifestyle channel that has never run porn but 370 puts it cheek-by-jowl with Shaw's impressive lineup of adult channels: Hustler is on 371, Playboy TV is on 372 and Red Light District is on 373.

"They are supposed to notify you before they move you," says Danks. "The other thing is they moved us right into the porn section. We've said, 'We don't have adult content. Why have you got us with adult channels?' There's no reason given. They say nothing."

Danks says that even though the number of Shaw cable service customers rises steadily every year, OutTV's subscriber rate on Shaw is actually shrinking. He says for the period between December 2006 and December 2007 the number of OutTV subscribers on Shaw dropped by almost 60 percent while the number of OutTV subscribers on virtually every other cable provider in Canada rose by an average of at least 10 percent.

Shaw president Peter Bissonette did not return Xtra's calls before press time but Danks says the cable giant did respond to OutTV staffer Samantha Sowassey in a Jun 19, 2007 letter from Shaw director of programming Caroline Popilchak.

Danks says Popilchak wrote that the number of subscribers to OutTV on the Shaw system has increased.

"It's not true," says Danks. "Our subscriber base has slowly eroded. We were at a high at one point of 9,000 subscribers. We say the facts speak for themselves. Shaw is the only cable provider in Canada where our subscriber base has gone down."

Danks alleges that Popilchak wrote that Shaw has never marketed OutTV as an adult service. But in April 2005 Xtra West reported that OutTV was mentioned only once in Shaw's marketing materials; on a webpage labelled "adult channel options" separate from all the other category one specialty channels and accompanied only by Hustler and Playboy TV.

According to Danks Popilchak called the channel number irrelevant arguing that there are hundreds of channels on the dial. But says Danks, if channel number is irrelevant "then move us back."

This is not the first conflict between Shaw and OutTV. In 2001 when the channel, then under different management and called PrideVision, debuted along with a score of other digital cable channels, Shaw resisted including it in its lineup at all. In order to see the CRTC-mandated free preview of PrideVision, Shaw customers had to program their set-top boxes to receive it every time they turned on their televisions. The free preview of PrideVision was accessible only through the pay-per-view menu and led subscribers to believe they'd be charged one cent every time they accessed it.

In a 2001 letter to the CRTC, founding PrideVision president Rob Malcolmson wrote, "Fair and equitable packaging of PrideVision on distribution systems owned by Shaw Communications Inc has been problematic from the outset. As the commission knows, representatives of Shaw have made public statements to the effect that Shaw will not carry the service in certain areas. Shaw representatives have also said that if the service is to be carried, it will not be packaged with other programming services. Having realized that PrideVision is a must-carry service, Shaw is now impeding the preview of PrideVision in order to make it as difficult as possible for anyone to sample the service."

Later in 2001 the CRTC concluded that Shaw subjected PrideVision to undue disadvantage in relation to other digital cable channels and was in breach of CRTC regulations.

"The commission considers it significant that it did not specify in either its licensing decision of PrideVision or its framework for digital specialty services that it would be appropriate for distributors to accord PrideVision treatment different from that accorded any other category one specialty service," wrote the CRTC in its decision.

In April 2005, OutTV, not yet under its current management, filed another CRTC complaint against Shaw alleging inequitable treatment in violation of CRTC regulations over the Playboy TV and Hustler packaging issue and because Shaw was charging its subscribers more than twice the price for OutTV of any other category one channel on its dial. That complaint was withdrawn before the scheduled CRTC hearing after Shaw reached an agreement with OutTV.

In a 2005 interview, Xtra West asked Bissonette, "What would you say to those who may wonder if the price and carriage structure Shaw has adopted for OutTV, which is different from the structures for virtually every other digital specialty channel, might be motivated by homophobia?"

There was a stony silence. "That's an erroneous suggestion," he replied. "It's not true."

Danks doesn't care about Shaw's motivation for treating OutTV differently, he only wants equitable treatment so he can grow the channel and improve its programming.

"A lot of people will suggest that there's a homophobic aspect to it," says Danks. "I'm not going to be one them for a couple of reasons: [Shaw] does some community work here in Vancouver. They also put a lot of gay programming on their video-on-demand service. I think the problem is that Shaw has no interest in promoting Canadian programming services. It's not specific to OutTV. It goes straight to the desire of that company. They've been attacking Canadian programming on all fronts."

What would it take for Danks to withdraw the most recent OutTV complaint against Shaw?

"They would have to treat us like all the other category one licences," says Danks. "They would have to put us in a proper and appropriate package within their packaging system. They would need to do that on a retroactive basis and pay us for the subscribers we would have had during that time. They need to market us in their web and all other materials the same as they do other category one licences."

Danks says those wishing to protest Shaw's treatment of OutTV should write letters of complaint to the CRTC.

"They can go to the OutTV website and write to us with their experiences with cable companies good or bad," he says. "We can provide them information about how to write to the CRTC. We'd like to hear from them directly."

Matt Mills is associate publisher and managing editor of Xtra.

http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx?AFF_TYPE=1&STORY_ID=4644&PUB_TEMPLATE_ID=9

[SpongeG]

i have to say last time i looked Out TV was pretty lame

most of its programs are old or on other channels - there really isn't much draw to subscribing to it

[vid]

Ever since they gave Elvira Kurt a show......

I can't say much of their schedule piques my interest. Indeed, none of it is interesting. Too much stereotypical crap for my taste. :\

[SpongeG]

at least when it was pridevision they showed porn - haha

once they dropped the porn it was dull

it was funny they kept adding porn more and more towards the end of pridevision

originally it was like twice a week than it ended up being 7 nights a week

[vid]

Pridevision is now just porn. Not entirely sure where pride or vision enter into that, though.

[Ayreonaut]

I haven't been home for over a month, now I find out that Star Choice cut TSN and RSN HD from the basic HD channels. Now I'm going to have to get an extra package to get those two. :hell:

I will though, TSN HD is definitely worth something.

[SpongeG]

Pridevision is now just porn. Not entirely sure where pride or vision enter into that, though.

with SHAW they don't offer Pridevision :rolleyes:

they also don't offer a long list of channels i wanted

like TV land, BPM:TV, etc etc

[MolsonExport]

My ideal cable package would be:
1. HBO
2. National Geographic Channel
3. History channel
4. Space channel
5. Discovery channel
6. PBS
7. BBC
8. CBC (for Hockey, news)

And that is it. Programming on the remaining channels is tripe.

[Jay in Cowtown]

My ideal cable package would be:
1. HBO


If Shaw & Rogers can convince those douchebags at the CRTC, Canada might just become a free country and you'll be able to subscribe to HBO and the other good U.S. channels currently being blocked here.

[harls]

Has anyone seen those new "Home Made simple" commercials? They took a page out of the "brand power" book and feature a gaggle of housewives sitting on a couch, talking about Bounty towels and Cascade tabs and how simple life is thanks to these marvelous cleaning products. Heading up the group is that scary looking British woman from "How clean is your house?", with the big blond cinderella tress tied up on her head.. it looks like it weighs 50 lbs and it is likely helping her youthful looks by stretching all of her loose skin to the back of her head. another camel-schnozed woman reads from a script about Cascade's amazing orange scent. Of course with nostrils the size of walnuts, she must be able to get a really good whiff... yeah stick your head in the dishwasher, get right in there and take it all in!

[Rico Rommheim]

Has anyone seen those new "Home Made simple" commercials? They took a page out of the "brand power" book and feature a gaggle of housewives sitting on a couch, talking about Bounty towels and Cascade tabs and how simple life is thanks to these marvelous cleaning products. Heading up the group is that scary looking British woman from "How clean is your house?", with the big blond cinderella tress tied up on her head.. it looks like it weighs 50 lbs and it is likely helping her youthful looks by stretching all of her loose skin to the back of her head. another camel-schnozed woman reads from a script about Cascade's amazing orange scent. Of course with nostrils the size of walnuts, she must be able to get a really good whiff... yeah stick your head in the dishwasher, get right in there and take it all in!

Yeah I saw those, scared the shit out of me!