# New Tax on TV



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

I was not aware of this one coming.

http://www.stopthetvtax.ca/


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2009)

OTA HD is looking pretty darn attractive right now.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

i could'nt care less what they do with the tv tax. i could'nt care less what they do with cable costs. i pulled the plug on television years and years ago. even my step kids are happy that i did it. it's mostly garbage, and you can't get it ala carte to avoid the junk you don't want. even the stuff that is somewhat entertaining is loaded with product placement and is soooo chopped up with commercials it's hardly even coherent. 85% of the programming is junk i wouldn't watch if they paid me too. on top of that you get someone else's questionable moral values and judgements on a variety of topics forced on you as part of the bargain. they are raising your children to believe what they say is right, not what you say.

i encourage every one of you to make the only intelligent choice. cancel your cable subscription, and say no to television. read a book, talk to your family, ride a bike. stop vegging in front of the tube. 

somebody's gotta kill the babysitter


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Frankly, if it were not for Coronation Street and the NFL I would never watch TV.


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## Rugburn (Jan 14, 2009)

GuitarsCanada said:


> Frankly, if it were not for Coronation Street and the NFL I would never watch TV.



You don't hear those two shows in the same sentence everyday. We watch a lot of movies, but we use "rabbit ears" to watch TV. Digital "rabbit ears" of course.........


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

We've only got 4 channels. CBC, CTV, Global and French CBC. More'd be nice, but I doubt I'd watch enough to make it worthwhile.

Why pay for 600 Channels when you only watch six or seven?


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

we went from basic cable, to no TV (instant messaging and guitar forums make a Great replacement!) then HD satellite.

I still rarely watch tv, don't own one, and don't really care. They're good for gaming on


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

Budda said:


> They're good for gaming on



that's what ours gets used for too. the nintendo and the dvd player.


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

I am pissed that Dave Carrol did this. 

[youtube=Option]uKLS6sNKRGU[/youtube]


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

(Cue the Hockey Night In Canada theme.)

It's not TV I mind, it's the mindlessness of most of the programming. If we could only pay for what we use it would be better. CBC, History, Discovery, HGTV, CTV, TSN, Global, Bravo. 

Peace, Mooh.


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Mooh said:


> (Cue the Hockey Night In Canada theme.)
> 
> It's not TV I mind, it's the mindlessness of most of the programming. If we could only pay for what we use it would be better. CBC, History, Discovery, HGTV, CTV, TSN, Global, Bravo.
> 
> Peace, Mooh.


So it's not just me that watches some of these sitcoms and other drabble on the TV and is astounded by the fact that anyone with an IQ over 30 could possible find any of it remotely funny? I mean, bodily functions and cheap sex jokes are sooooooooooo old now.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2009)

ne1roc said:


> I am pissed that Dave Carrol did this.


Why does it make you mad?


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

iaresee said:


> Why does it make you mad?


Because he supports the tax. 

The guy was a regular Joe who got screwed by a big corporate airline, got famous for it, and now he supports the big corporate stations who want to screw the regular Joe.


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## Guest (Oct 8, 2009)

ne1roc said:


> Because he supports the tax.
> 
> The guy was a regular Joe who got screwed by a big corporate airline, got famous for it, and now he supports the big corporate stations who want to screw the regular Joe.


Ahh. I didn't really listen to the lyrics that closely.  I thought he was just lamenting big stations taking over everything and not showing local content. I guess that supports the tax, but I read it as supporting small, local stations more than anything else. I should have listened closer...


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

iaresee said:


> Ahh. I didn't really listen to the lyrics that closely.  I thought he was just lamenting big stations taking over everything and not showing local content. I guess that supports the tax, but I read it as supporting small, local stations more than anything else. I should have listened closer...


CTV played this video right after the 6:00 news yesterday and I think they played it again at 9:00? CTV obviously a big supporter of the tax.

Good for Dave I guess? He's making a good buck but he kind of sold out in my eyes.

I don't mind paying a buck extra a month to support the small guys but not these big corporations who will only want more in the future.


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

GuitarsCanada said:


> So it's not just me that watches some of these sitcoms and other drabble on the TV and is astounded by the fact that anyone with an IQ over 30 could possible find any of it remotely funny? I mean, bodily functions and cheap sex jokes are sooooooooooo old now.


I really, really enjoy watching 'Two and a half men'.
there. I said it.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

GuitarsCanada said:


> So it's not just me that watches some of these sitcoms and other drabble on the TV and is astounded by the fact that anyone with an IQ over 30 could possible find any of it remotely funny? I mean, bodily functions and cheap sex jokes are sooooooooooo old now.


Some of us like to let our inerchild out and laugh at the stupidity. Life is too short!!


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

puckhead said:


> I really, really enjoy watching 'Two and a half men'.
> there. I said it.


They've done everything they can do with Charlie's character, it's time to let it rest. But I used to love it as well.

For syndicated stuff, Big Bang Theory is my favorite, just because I'm a tech geek at heart and it makes me laugh.

Californication is my ultimate favorite. They take it too far, and Hank is such an extreme extravert, with no moral compass, you never know what he's going to do/say next.


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## soldierscry (Jan 20, 2008)

To me the tax doesn't make sense. Local tv stations want to charge the cable companies for using there signal, which the CRTC forces the cable companies to do, and any one can get these channels for free with rabbit ears. It doesn't add up they want to make cable companies pay for something that they give away for free. It would make more sense to ad it in to a persons property tax, but I shuoldn't give out ideas like that


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## ne1roc (Mar 4, 2006)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> Some of us like to let our inerchild out and laugh at the stupidity. Life is too short!!


+1!!! 

It truly is a sign of age when you become sophisticated and don't find stupid, funny anymore.


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## david henman (Feb 3, 2006)

...i'm in a weird situation. i would never pay a penny for cable. and yet, through a variety of circmstances, i've had free cable for most of the past twenty years. plus, at my girlfriend's condo, rogers cable is included.

and what do i watch? the tv guide channel and the weather channel.

if i happen to be near the set, i'll tune into 60 minutes, or a jays/leafs game.

and, of course, i turn on bugs bunny on saturday morning on the off chance of catching thylvethter'th thon...

"my own father, frightened by a mere mouthe...!"

-dh


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## Mooh (Mar 7, 2007)

GuitarsCanada said:


> So it's not just me that watches some of these sitcoms and other drabble on the TV and is astounded by the fact that anyone with an IQ over 30 could possible find any of it remotely funny? I mean, bodily functions and cheap sex jokes are sooooooooooo old now.


Can't answer that one. All I watch is hockey, history, music, news, and once in a while Law & Order and The Simpsons.

Peace, Mooh.


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## puckhead (Sep 8, 2008)

Jeff Flowerday said:


> They've done everything they can do with Charlie's character, it's time to let it rest. But I used to love it as well.


yeah, i have to admit, when they are starting to marry off Charlie..... 
it's getting perilously close to this territory:









I still love the writing on that show. it's just my kinda humour, I guess.


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## cheezyridr (Jun 8, 2009)

ne1roc said:


> +1!!!
> 
> It truly is a sign of age when you become sophisticated and don't find stupid, funny anymore.



i disagree. stupid can be funny but there needs to be more than stupid. otherwise you begin to get the feeling that someone, somewhere, feels that stupid is all you are capable of identifying with. any fool can do stupid. if you have to pay to watch, and deal with all the ads and such, the least they can do is offer you something that will occasionally make you cry, think, feel good, etc. right now you have 3 main themes on tv, you have stupid/funny,
you have worry/fear, and you have shock. that's 90% of the programming. 
even much of what is supposed to be edutainment is slanted, biased and often only tells part of the whole. the entertainment industry will never give people more as long as they keep settling for what they get.


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

You guys need to keep in mind that you're seeing the propaganda of two opposing industry lobby groups. Both sides are doing all they can to rile up the public by using vague threats and inflammatory statements. 

Canadian TV networks: http://localtvmatters.ca/

Canadian cable providers: http://www.stopthetvtax.ca/

Here's what's going on in the news: http://v1.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090917.wcrtcstaff0917/BNStory/Business

Here's the meat of the article:

_Canada's major TV networks argue that they deserve to be paid for their signals by the cable and satellite companies. Only specialty channels higher up the TV dial are currently allowed to charge monthly fees, while the large national networks are considered free of charge, since they also can be picked up by antenna.

The networks argue the revenue model for television has changed as nearly 90 per cent of homes now subscribe to some form of cable or satellite package. They want the money, which at a proposed 50 cents per subscriber each month is worth an estimated $50-million to $80-million to a network depending on its size, to fund local programming.

Cable and satellite companies, led by Rogers Communications Inc. [RCI.B-T], Bell Canada [BCE-T] and Shaw Communications Inc. [SJR.B-T] have banded together to oppose the issue, saying the networks are trying to charge for signals that are already free to consumers and that any fees would be passed on to customers if approved.
_
Both sides clearly want something in the deal. And don't fool yourselves - the cable companies don't want to have to pay for product that they currently get for free and then charge us fees to deliver. They're not some do-gooder lobby group out to save "taxpayers" money.


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## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

I just got an email from Bell telling me that the bad guys are going to force Bell to put my rates up.


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## davetcan (Feb 27, 2006)

shoretyus said:


> I just got an email from Bell telling me that the bad guys are going to force Bell to put my rates up.


Me too, although I don't get my signal from Bell. Here it is.

Help stop your TV fees from increasing. CTV, Global and the CBC have recently asked the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) to significantly increase TV taxes. 

The CRTC has been asked to do this by having Bell and the other operators pay more, which would result in higher fees for you. 

We don’t think that’s right, you shouldn’t either. So please speak and have your say. 

*This is what’s happening. *

The CRTC has told satellite and cable companies to hand over $100 million a year as of September 1, 2009. These fees are being passed on to you. 

This money is passing through something called the Local Programming Improvement Fund (LPIF) – straight to media giants like CTVglobemedia and Canwest Global, straight to the CBC. 

No new local programming, no improvement to anything other than the bottom line of broadcasters. 

You are now likely paying for this on your TV bill. 

You should also know that hot on the heels of that campaign, CTV, Global and the CBC are now lobbying for even more. 

Each year, satellite and cable companies pay hundreds of millions of dollars to broadcasters. We contribute to the CRTC’s operating budget. Although to date these fees have not been broken out on monthly bills, you need to know they exist – especially because the TV networks still want more. 

If the CRTC gives in to the broadcasters’ latest demand and lets local TV stations charge for their currently free over-the-air local signals, it would more than double the portion of your Bell TV bill going to government fees – and into the bank accounts of the broadcasters, like CTV, Global and the CBC. 

In fact, if the CRTC lets broadcasters have their way, then government-imposed fees will be just shy of _one *billion* dollars_. 

It’s time to say enough. Help make it stop. Let the CRTC know what you think about new TV taxes -- have your say.


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## xuthal (May 15, 2007)

I dont want to worry about it.Theres always the internet,besides,im always at work when the "good" show are on and miss them anyways.Now if they start charging fees(pretty sure they dont)for watching streaming TV shows on spacecast and the like it's time to worry.And if they do,theres always ways around that problem.(tvlinks.com surfthechannel.com etc etc)If you have the internet theres no need for a TV as a good friend always says.


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## keeperofthegood (Apr 30, 2008)

kqoct TV? Is that still around?


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## Cadence (Nov 20, 2007)

*Another view*

In the interest of full disclosure - I DO work for a local TV station, so of course, you are welcome to consider my points under the consideration that I do not want to lose my job.

But also, I have this job because I love the industry.

On a personal note, I do not have cable myself, just bunny ears :smile:



soldierscry said:


> It doesn't add up they want to make cable companies pay for something that they give away for free.


I agree with this, but think about it from another angle. Why are you paying the cable company for something you can get for free? Maybe think about it in terms of music. You write/produce a song and post it on MySpace/YouTube/whatever so people can listen to it and enjoy it for FREE. Then someone else takes your music off those sites and sells it. Yes you are getting exposure to a wider audience, but that is all. They are making the money off it. Now, when you ask for due compensation, that someone says "well, if we have to, but we're going to increase the price so it doesn't come out of our pockets, but those of our customers (your fans)"

The hope of the networks was that the cable companies will absorb the costs, not pass it on to consumers.

I'm not going to lie. The networks do make money (or it wouldn't be a viable business). Most of the LOCAL STATIONS affiliated with the networks do not and are already being subsidized by the networks. In the case of several stations, the networks have decided the loss in revenue hasn't been worth it and closed the stations. Several communities have already lost their TV stations.

What this means, primarily, is a loss of local content - News.
I work at such a local news station and even if you don't watch your local news, here's why I think it's important:
It serves the community. It seems the larger the city, the less we know about our neighbours and about what's going on. Having a service like local news, in my opinion, brings the community together. It gives a sense of "togetherness" and gives us a common history. We have a room FULL of tapes of stories from over the last 50 years we have been in the community. It's a literal video archive of the community and it's fascinating to dig through.

Please, if you're interested in supporting your local station check out http://savelocal.ctv.ca/

Thank you for allowing me to post my viewpoint.


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## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

cheezyridr said:


> i could'nt care less what they do with the tv tax. i could'nt care less what they do with cable costs. i pulled the plug on television years and years ago. even my step kids are happy that i did it. it's mostly garbage, and you can't get it ala carte to avoid the junk you don't want. even the stuff that is somewhat entertaining is loaded with product placement and is soooo chopped up with commercials it's hardly even coherent. 85% of the programming is junk i wouldn't watch if they paid me too. on top of that you get someone else's questionable moral values and judgements on a variety of topics forced on you as part of the bargain. they are raising your children to believe what they say is right, not what you say.
> 
> i encourage every one of you to make the only intelligent choice. cancel your cable subscription, and say no to television. read a book, talk to your family, ride a bike. stop vegging in front of the tube.
> 
> somebody's gotta kill the babysitter


I agree with much of what you say. We do have a television set. We have it for playing movies and videos that "we choose" and not anyone else, including my DVD guitar learning course.


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