Viacom to Canada: "Axe Pick-and-Pay or we pull the plug." - Polidicks

[quote]American media giant Viacom Inc. is threatening to move its television stations off the dial and onto an online streaming service if the federal broadcast regulator forces cable and satellite companies to offer channels on a “pick-and-pay” basis.[/quote] [quote]The U.S.-based company warned unbundling packages of channels to be offered one by one would set off “a consumer welfare destroying death spiral” for the TV business.[/quote] [quote]The federal government has been pushing a pick-and-pay option as part of a consumer-focused agenda since last fall. But Viacom says such a move would “force a complete re-examination” of the business case for offering its channels on Canadian TV. When the government said, during the hearing, that it wouldn’t allow Internet-based video services such as Netflix and YouTube to be regulated, it changed the financial equation.[/quote] [quote]“This is absolutely a clear example of what can happen when a government that is probably not thinking much past the next election starts meddling in what are very big-picture questions,” Mr. Taylor said.[/quote] [quote]The outcome of Let’s Talk TV likely won’t be decided for several months, but Viacom isn’t the only big U.S. company watching the process closely. The popular A+E network warned in a submission filed on Friday that in a pick-and-pay environment, it “may determine that Canadian distribution rights are too expensive and may have to seek blackout rights for licensed programming or forego programming expected by A&E viewers.”[/quote] [url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/viacom-balks-against-crtc-pick-and-pay-model-for-tv-channels/article20974628/]**SOURCE**[/url] You are so full of yourself to assume that subscribing monthly on a per-channel basis would destroy you. Perhaps this is more an indication that your programming selection blows overall? I am not paying an extra $15 a month just for fucking Cartoon Network and a half dozen other shitty channels.

[QUOTE=pentium;46186980][url=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/viacom-balks-against-crtc-pick-and-pay-model-for-tv-channels/article20974628/]**SOURCE**[/url] You are so full of yourself to assume that subscribing monthly on a per-channel basis would destroy you. Perhaps this is more an indication that your programming selection blows overall? I am not paying an extra $15 a month just for fucking Cartoon Network and a half dozen other shitty channels.[/QUOTE]Once upon a time, I would have paid for all the channels because they all DID offer decent to good content. These days? HAH! FUCK NO! Fuck, I just wanna drop cable and convert to netflix.

Yep, sure love paying out the nose for the only 3 good channels worth watching. Everyone here is fed up with getting fucked over and has either moved to Netflix or torrenting for their shows. I haven't had TV service in over 4 years and couldn't be happier with the alternative options.

To them, I say: do it. Most of the Canadian versions of the US channels are either owned by Bell, Shaw (history fact: after Canwest filed for bankruptcy, they picked up a bunch of channels it owned including Global and named the new thing Shaw Media), or Corus (very closely tied to Shaw, but not part of Shaw itself). What is Viacom even going to do with the 10% that they own in the Canadian CMT? Nothing. The CRTC will probably tell them to fuck off and give up their share if anything. What will Viacom do about YTV, which airs piles upon piles of content from stations which Viacom has their hand in? Nothing. The only thing they can do is revoke the Nick Canada license. It wouldn't be a big loss.

Ytv sucks shit since sitekick died

So the fact that they want to advocate for the public is bad according to the cable companies? They're only afraid because then they would actually have to supply a decent service that people actually want to pay for rather than a one fits all. I live for the day when I can subscribe to one company/service or a handful and watch live TV/the network shows I like (without waiting for netflix to get them) no matter where I am on my tablet or my smartphone for a decent price and only the channels I want to watch so long as I have an internet connection :)

I have a better idea, add pick-and-pay to the US, since fuck you Viacom.

Please somehow magically go bankrupt and die already THANKS

Dunno how I'll cope without Spike

Pick-and-pay seems much better than the current system. I can't see consumers having an issue with it. What are that down sides to it's enforcement? Is there any issues from a consumer perspective? Or a certain demographic of consumers?

[quote]The U.S.-based company warned unbundling packages of channels to be offered one by one would set off “a consumer welfare destroying death spiral” for the TV business.[/quote] The TV business is moving online anyway, idiots. Adapt or move over and let someone better in [editline]8th October 2014[/editline] [QUOTE=Kardia;46187112]Pick-and-pay seems much better than the current system. I can't see consumers having an issue with it. What are down sides to it's enforcement?[/QUOTE] Less money for cable companies who bundle all the good channels with a ton of shit channels and charge lots of money for the bundle

[QUOTE=Hat-Wearing Man;46187092]Dunno how I'll cope without Spike[/QUOTE] It became the new Cops channel in the place of G4 :v:

please call their bluff canada

honestly when I get a house it's going to be nice having all that extra room not buying a TV to play crap on that I'll never watch in ever. how much is satellite / 1000 channels anyways at the point? Just not bothering with that shit is going to save me a lot of money.

Viacom is like if cancer and terrorism had a baby and it was raised by Wall Street.

Viacomm also damanded extra money from my cable company so now I can't watch comedy Central and etc. Viacom sucks dick

[QUOTE=J!NX;46187145]honestly when I get a house it's going to be nice having all that extra room not buying a TV to play crap on that I'll never watch in ever. how much is satellite / 1000 channels anyways at the point? Just not bothering with that shit is going to save me a lot of money.[/QUOTE] a physical tv is still nice for streaming devices

I don't even watch TV anymore. If it's not on Netflix or DVD, I don't watch it at all. If HBO ever allows a direct subscription I'll cut the cable permanently and smash the receiver. Just tired of all the bullshit, Netflix doesn't have commercials and neither do my DVDs, and I can watch them literally ANY time I want to in whatever order I please. Can't miss the beginning of an episode or movie because I don't need to catch it at a certain time either. The entertainment industry needs to get their shit together and learn to change with the times, they pulled this same shit when movie theaters started becoming popular, then they did it again with home video.

[QUOTE=Venezuelan;46187202]a physical tv is still nice for streaming devices[/QUOTE] yeah but that's really it. It's useless since I'll just use my PC. I'd rather not buy a TV purely for that.

[QUOTE=J!NX;46187220]yeah but that's really it. It's useless since I'll just use my PC. I'd rather not buy a TV purely for that.[/QUOTE] probably haven't even seen Gabe newell's "computer screen"

[quote]The U.S.-based company warned unbundling packages of channels to be offered one by one would set off “a consumer welfare destroying death spiral” for the TV business[/quote] If Viacom actually decided to get out of Canadian TV entirely, with no replacement channels offering their content, that would arguably be bad for the consumers. What they conveniently forgot to mention is that they'd be the only ones responsible.

[QUOTE=Solo Wing;46187015]Once upon a time, I would have paid for all the channels because they all DID offer decent to good content. These days? HAH! FUCK NO! Fuck, I just wanna drop cable and convert to netflix.[/QUOTE] Majority of netflix is shovelware now.

[QUOTE=coolgame8013;46187269]probably haven't even seen Gabe newell's "computer screen"[/QUOTE] if I wanted to lose my sight from sitting that close I'd just buy a flash light and directly shine it in my face I'd rather just have a way higher res monitor I don't even know WHERE that's coming from either.

[QUOTE=coolgame8013;46187269]probably haven't even seen Gabe newell's "computer screen"[/QUOTE] And what does Newell even have to do with Viacom flipping the middle finger at Canada?

[QUOTE=Solo Wing;46187015]Once upon a time, I would have paid for all the channels because they all DID offer decent to good content. These days? HAH! FUCK NO! Fuck, I just wanna drop cable and convert to netflix.[/QUOTE] That's what I did. Just make sure to use a UK proxy if you want to see, like, the other half of Netflix. All the Pixar films are on the UK version, as an example.

When you have the bae over for a movie date u need the tv don't expect her to watch your tig ass monior

[QUOTE=J!NX;46187145]honestly when I get a house it's going to be nice having all that extra room not buying a TV to play crap on that I'll never watch in ever. how much is satellite / 1000 channels anyways at the point? Just not bothering with that shit is going to save me a lot of money.[/QUOTE] If I had a house I'd keep a console TV around for misc. purposes like gaming and movies. Not bothering with paying for cable until the bundling shit goes away.

[QUOTE=A_Pigeon;46187058]Ytv sucks shit since sitekick died[/QUOTE] Carlos and Sugar!

[QUOTE=FunnyStarRunner;46187413]If I had a house I'd keep a console TV around for misc. purposes like gaming and movies. Not bothering with paying for cable until the bundling shit goes away.[/QUOTE] I'd try for a projector room personally clean a room out completely, paint 3 sides black and cover it with just foam, and block the window with fancy looking crap to hide the wires, 5.1 speakers, then just project onto a blank wall.

Canada should do what Australia did and lease their channels to other TV networks to avoid shit like this Only channel that is owned by viacom over here is just MTV, the rest is owned by the Foxtel Networks