Unwanted TV Channels

Canada's creaky broadcast regulator is edging towards giving Canadians more choice in what TV channels they watch, and how they pay for it. Ifs proposing that cable and satellite providers be required to offer consumers a fairly cheap basic service, and then let them choose individual channels in a so-called "pick and pay" model.

Those changes are welcome, as far as they go. TV fees have become one of the biggest bills most consumers face each month. And few things irk consumers as much as being forced to shell out for a pack of channels they don't want in order to get the few they do.

So the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is on the right track by pushing more choice and greater flexibility. That kind of change can't come soon enough.

The CRTC proposes a "skinny basic" package of local Canadian channels, with the price capped at $20 to $30 a month. On top of that, customers of Bell, Rogers and other providers would be able to pick and choose other channels for a few dollars each per month.

Thaf s why it sensibly suggests that broadcasters be allowed to count what they spend on programming for online towards what they are required to spend on Canadian programming.

That proposal is an important sign that the CRTC is finally coming to grips with the tornado of change in the world of television. More and more consumers, are "cutting the cord" — doing without cable or satellite entirely. They're viewing content online, through YouTube, Netflix, Hulu and illegal downloads—threatening the future of cable providers and Tv Satellite providers.