From: Mark.Kraml@f250.n514.z17.fidonet.ftn (Mark Kraml)
Newsgroups: mtl.general
Subject: CF Cable TV (was: FOX)
Date: 11 Nov 92 17:04:08 GMT

Hello Steve!

Saturday November 07 1992, Steve Potter writes to All:

 SP> @PID: Fred 1.9m
 SP> @MSGID: 17:5140/110 3db658ef
 SP> @REPLY: 17:5140/110 f10b5f98
 SP> From: steven@spxtech.qc.ca (Steve Potter)
 SP> Newsgroups: mtl.general
 SP> Subject: CF Cable TV (was: FOX)
 SP> Organization: Securiplex Technologies Inc., Montreal, Canada
 SP> @Message-ID: <1992Nov7.094816.3893@spxtech.qc.ca>
 SP> Date: Sat, 7 Nov 1992 14:48:16 GMT

 >> (emru@CAM.ORG) wrote: : Just to throw some variety into all this: does
 >> anyone know why Quebec is : virtually the only place in North America
 >> that does not get the FOX : channel? : : No rumors, please. : ... The way
 >> I heard it, Fox doesn't see the NE area of the States as a big
 >> enough market to set up a station for Burlington / Plattsburg.  I've
 >> often thought of writing them a letter or two describing just how many
 >> people live here in Montreal, and how there are almost as many Montreal
 >> ads on WPTZ, WCAX and WVNY as there are U.S. ads. Hmmmmmmn... Yep, it'd
 >> sure be great to get Fox here.... It could be done, but we'd have to get
 >> people to (ugh) write letters.  That's almost more of a headache than not
 >> having FOX.  Still, I suppose I can get the addresses necessary...

 SP> When CF Cable decided to carry WPTZ (ch. 57) in addition to VETV (ch.
33)
 SP> - they dropped TVOntario (ch. 24).

they dropped TVO for other reasons not language related. in canada we have a
wonderful system that is in effect. if you rebroadcast any channel on cable if
the channel is not local, then depending on a complicated formula that ONLY a
government can come up with, the cable provider has to pay a LARGE SUM OF
MONEY in copyright dues to SOMEBODY (not sure who). this is why we can get 2
US PBS stations and we cant get the TVO educationnal channel on basic cable in
quebec. in fact the TVO channel is available right now on CF-CABLE but you
must pay.

the only other thing i can think of is that since TVO broadcasts in both
french and english depending on the day an time. that maybe the french TV
stations complained to the CRTC. i dont know if you remember about 15 years
ago CHOM-FM was broadcasting in both french and english. the DJ spoke both
languages or tried and it was great. but the french stations complained to the
CRTC and CHOM was forced to become english only. of course now they only put a
french sign outside the station and can only speak english inside the
station.

 SP> FOX would, naturally, be another English channel.

 SP> If CF Cable were persuaded to carry FOX - which PBS service would they
 SP> be likely to drop? :-(

the fact that we already have 2 PBS stations is already outside the RULES.
videotron the french cable provider. i call them french because they do not
carry as much english programming as i think they should. anyway they
cancelled the PBS channel 57, they figured with a mostly french clientele
nobody would complain. well the french said thing like "you removed one of the
only good things on TV". the complaints got both PBS stations on cable in
montreal and they will stay. just another example of the rule of quebec. the
french speak french outside but inside the home they all watch PBS in
english.

 SP> I never understood why they would drop a CANADIAN english channel in
 SP> favour of an AMERICAN one. (?-))

money.

 SP> I also resent paying more for basic cable service to subsidise PAY TV
 SP> channels that other people want. They invested in new equipment etc to
 SP> provide the PAY TV services. They were undersubscribed and CF Cable
 SP> were losing money. So what do they do? They give everybody some of the
 SP> "PAY TV" channels (whether they want them or not) and jack up everybodys
 SP> fees to pay for them.

i dont watch the weather channel but i have to pay 50cents for it. i think the
allocation is up. i have checked it out since i found i was paying for it, boy
do they have a lot of neat techno-toys to play with. since then i have been
looking for an idea to get the government to milk the population, and pay me.
just like the speciality channels. :)

 SP> I heard something about CF Cable fees going up again in the new year.

 SP> Maybe its time to consider setting up an antenna. (?)

i am looking for a dish. i dont watch so much tv but i do have some things i
like to watch.

 SP> Here's another question:-

 SP> Nearly all my bills are for services, already, received.

 SP> CF Cable TV bills a minimum of two months in advance for services
 SP> promised, yet to be received. WHY?

same with bell canada, i think, check it out. besides that would you pay for
the services after you got them, or would you say: this sh*t i dont need to
pay for.

Mark