So the Networks are out'a money. They want funding. And maybe the Cable TV companies should be doing a revenue share. But if they do, who do you think will pay….ie – reimburse them for the new expense? Uh huh…me, you and our neigbours.
Yes, advertising revenues are down. Of course we gave the “new”, now old - pay channels the right to charge us, through a revenue share with the Cable TV companies, then we gave them the right to sell advertising minutes ‘cause we just were not giving them enough through voluntary subscriptions.
Now there’s a tough economy, fragmented market of too much media, too many stations and oh’ this Internet thing - that seems a real revenue robber.
So a new Industry Tax, collected by Private Industry, so it will be called a “fee” is about to be levied to support the Networks. This year it may be 50 cents, next year 75 and then maybe a 1.50 per month.
At some point we blurred the line between Network and Public Broadcaster, while still calling them Private TV Networks, funded by a Private Voluntary Tax, The ‘fee’ you’ll have to pay, if you want cable tv. And in most neigbourhoods you’ve not got good choice for two reasons – TV antenna are illegal, and oh the Broadcasters have quit the expense of broadcasting and just piped their signal to the Cable TV companies as….. u beginning to see it yet?
And why should we be forced to voluntarily subsidize the very networks that over the past few years participated in creating massive and unsustainable debt-loads by highly leveraged amassing of new media libraries that didn’t quite work out…?
The players are performing in front of us on a stage for all to see, so when it happens we should feel good – after all when you’re being _ _ _wed, its supposed to feel good, isn’t it?
And next it will be the daily’s, the magazines and then who’s next on the ‘bailout’ road? Maybe we close the CBC, or restructure it to a smaller, boutique network that focuses on indigenous productions only, yes we'll include hockey. And we ask the CRTC to tell Global and CTV, go figure it out. Because, to me the thought of bailing them out on a monthly forever basis, just makes me wan’a say – me too, me too let me get to the trough. I'll invnet a loss too.