Channel choice in throne speech

Perhaps looking to change the channel from the scandals in the senate, when MP’s return to Ottawa this week to re-open the legislature, the Conservative’s are promising more choice for consumers when it comes to your cable bill. Cindy Csordas has the details.

The Harper government is promising to talk about a plan to force cable and satellite companies to let customers pay for the channels they want to watch and not the bundle packages they make you buy now.

It’ll be part of the thrown speech on Wednesday. The federal government is planning to create a law that will require cable and satellite TV providers to offer pick and pay services for subscribers. The industry minister, James Moore, says it’s part of the governments agenda to put consumers first. McMaster DeGroote School of Business professor Marvin Ryder doesn’t think it’ll be a savings for consumers but first have a listen to some of the thoughts people outside our TV studios have on the issue.

“I wouldn’t mind it. I just get basic cable, but there are stations that I miss like A&E. So for me, I would like that.” “I think that’s a good idea. Why pay for a lot of stations you don’t want right? I think that the cable companies have had it their way for a long time by making that bundle.”

Marvin: “The good news is, you pay for what you want. If you don’t want certain channels, you don’t have to buy them. But, right now we have some cross subsidization. In other words, popular channels help pay for less popular channels. It’s conceiveable that the per channel cost goes up, you’re not actually going to save anything as opposed to bundling.”

The New Democrats say they don’t believe the Harper government will put any teeth in to this plan. Consumer Affairs critic Glenn Thibeault says when the Conservatives have talked about consumer protection in the past it’s ended up voluntary, not mandatory.