From: brewnoserii@gmail.com   
      
   CBC News Posted: Feb 25, 2016   
      
   Cable firms slow to share details about 'skinny' basic package and   
   pick-and-pay TV   
      
   Rogers reveals some details after leak to CBC News   
      
      
   Just days before the March 1 deadline, details about TV providers' new $25   
   "skinny" basic package and added pick-and-pay channels have been slow to   
   trickle out.   
      
   At the time of publication of this story, major TV providers Rogers, Bell and   
   Telus were still keeping customers in the dark about their plans to comply   
   with new regulations mandated to give viewers more choice.   
      
   But an employee at Rogers leaked information to CBC News about its upcoming   
   offerings, pushing Rogers to reveal major details.   
      
   The new deal won't be made available on its website until March 1.  But CBC   
   News has learned that Rogers will offer a "Starter" TV package for $24.99.  It   
   will include mandatory Canadian channels plus some major U.S. stations like   
   PBS and ABC.   
      
   Customers can then top up the basic package with new "Starter Theme Packs"   
   ranging from $3 to $18.   
      
   "These new options are great for customers on a budget," said spokeswoman   
   Jennifer Kett in an email to CBC News.   
      
   The employee who leaked the information also said that   
   Rogers has told staff to push the current bigger channel packages and downplay   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
   the "skinny" pick-and-pay plan.   
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   Industry analysts have speculated that providers are not eager to promote the   
   mandated cheaper basic package because it could inspire customers to pare down   
   their TV plans.   
      
   "Throughout the training there was a strong theme: Show the value of the   
   current products versus the new options.  Basically, they don't want people to   
   move to these packages," said the employee in an email.  The worker has asked   
   to remain anonymous    
   because he fears retribution from Rogers.   
      
   But the cable company claims it's not about discouraging people from   
   downsizing plans -- but making sure they understand all their choices.   
      
   "We were clear with our agents that the new options weren't going to make   
   sense for everybody and they shouldn't be sold as a one-size-fits-all   
   approach," said Kett.   
      
      
   Waiting until the last minute   
      
   By March 1, the CRTC has mandated all Canadian TV providers must offer a   
   so-called "skinny" basic package of channels priced at just $25 or less.   
   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^   
      
   They must also let customers top it up with pick-and-pay channels either   
   offered individually or in small theme packs.  Come December, TV companies   
   must offer both options.   
      
   Shaw, which dominates in the West, and Vidéotron in Quebec are already   
   publicly offering a pared-down $25 basic pack.   
      
   Customers can then top up the deal with added pick-and-pay channels.   
      
   But like Rogers, other major TV providers have been reluctant to reveal their   
   plans until the final deadline.   
      
   Bell spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis told CBC News in an email the company   
   hasn't yet posted its new offerings "for competitive reasons."   
      
   Telus stated it will launch its new deals on March 1.   
      
   The wait frustrates Rogers cable customer Andrew Hiscock.  His TV bill has   
   just jumped by $4 and now he's shelling out about $94 a month for hundreds of   
   channels, he said, just to get the few he wants, like sports.   
      
   Hiscock, who lives in Mount Pearl, N.L., won't be able to evaluate the new   
   Rogers offering until March 1 to see if they work for him.   
      
   "It's not very [good] customer service," he said. "I am in the dark as to what   
   I will be able to save in the future once these slimmer packages come into   
   effect."   
      
      
   I'm going with the skinny   
      
   But some are lucky enough to already start making plans.  Shaw Direct   
   satellite TV customer, Daniel Langlois, said he has crunched the numbers and   
   likes what he sees.  He said he's switching to Shaw's $25 new basic package   
   plus added pick-and-pay packs,    
   concluding he'll save considerably on his TV bill.   
      
   "I was quite impressed with how they're going about it," said Langlois, who   
   lives in a suburb of Montreal.   
      
   His Shaw Direct TV bill jumped by $10 this year to about $110 a month with   
   taxes, he said.  He pays for more than 200 channels even though he only   
   watches a small selection.   
      
   "In essence, you want one channel, you got to buy eight, and that's not   
   right," said Langlois.   
      
   He adds that he plans to top up the new basic package with two theme packs   
   plus a choice of 10 pick-and-pay channels -- totalling about $85 a month.   
      
   He concludes he'll save about $25 a month but still get his favourite channels   
   like TSN, Discovery, History and the Space channel.   
      
   "Once you get past the idea of 'Limited,'" said Langlois, noting the choice of   
   words to promote the basic package, "it's a pretty good deal overall."   
      
   Meanwhile, cable customer Hiscock is still waiting for the fine print to see   
   if Rogers will give him a better deal.  If the new offerings don't save him   
   money, he'll consider cutting ties with the company and exploring alternatives   
   such as cheaper    
   streaming services.   
      
   "All along it's been kind of unsettling that we have all these channels that   
   we are paying for that we don't watch," said Hiscock.   
   ___________________________   
      
     Cable companies mum on pick-and-pay and cheaper 'skinny' TV packages   
      
       $25 basic cable package must be in place by March 1   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)