[opendtv] Re: Barriers eroding to LCD TV adoption
- From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 7 Aug 2004 11:06:08 -0700
That was just a special case of the "early" advantages of cable, wasn't it,
Terry?
In Canada, there was (at best) one channel. Since 80% of the Canadian
population was within theoretical reach of U.S. TV signals and the
government owned the (then) sole channel, there was no government interest
in changing the situation, but a carefully placed receive antenna could
solve it for a local area. Just think: three or four more NEW TV signals.
And, it could also provide them with signals from more than one U.S. TV
market.
The government response was -- obviously -- slow and stupid. 1) "We can't
control our culture" and have to ban U.S. TV programs and U.S. magazines
that sell Canada-only ads" (1968-1971), and 2) permit CTV and other
operators to build private commercial stations, to compete with the
government commercial TV stations.
It wasn't until the mid-1990's that the CBC decided to stop importing U.S.
TV shows. Haven't seen much of their content distributed since then around
the world (like the fruits of any protected market) to paying audiences, but
at least the culture-vultures "think" they're satisfied.
It took CNN, what -- almost 20 years -- to get carried in Canada. It was
one of the last markets for them to break into. In the meantime, Canada
came up with "Newsworld International", the output of which Al Gore might be
interested in buying (again) but which is so dreadful -- except for "The
National" (the national news program that NWI was founded to support in the
face of "unrelenting" competition from CNN) -- that people in Saddam
Hussein's prisons would opt for torture instead of watching an hour of NWI.
(Okay, the middle eastern torture angle is pure fancy.)
John Willkie
-----Original Message-----
From: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Terry Harvey
Sent: Friday, August 06, 2004 10:56 PM
To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [opendtv] Re: Barriers eroding to LCD TV adoption
Canada is strangely unique. The reason Canadians became obsessed with cable
early is because they preferred to watch TV from south of the border.
At 06:16 PM 8/6/2004 -0400, John Golitsis wrote:
>Perhaps not germane to the point you're making, but when we moved into this
>house in 1974, pretty much the entire neighbourhood was on cable. There
>was an
>antenna here, but it wasn't connected to anything and I have absolutely no
>recollection of when it and the mast was taken down. This is in
Mississauga,
>about 15 miles West of Toronto.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
> >
> > Maybe he did mean that, but I would still disagree. Cable didn't
> > begin as an urban phenomenon until about 1981 or so, with
> > gradual availability after that in the further suburbs.
>
>
>
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