Tech & Biz

CTV Hosts Open House on 'Save Local TV Day'

by Mary Richard | May 22, 2009 at 09:52 pm

950 views | 18 Recommendations | 4 comments

CTV and A channels throughout Canada are hosting Open Houses on Saturday, May 23rd, to enable people to tour their facilities, meet some familiar CTV faces, and understand the important issues facing local television today.

For more information on the "Save Local TV" campaign, and for the time and location of the Open House in your neighborhood, go to SaveLocal.CTV.ca.

The acting mayor of the City of Ottawa is set to proclaim May 23 as "Save Local Television Day" on Saturday, as two of the city's local TV stations hold open houses in a campaign to save their stations.

"By coming together as one united voice on Save Local Television Day, we can show our support for our local television stations, who have been long-term valued contributors to Ottawa's culture," Acting Mayor Michel Bellemare said in a media release on Friday.

Canadian broadcasters are currently at odds with the CRTC over their ability to develop new revenue streams to support local programming.
CTVglobemedia and Canwest Global have said they would like to charge cable and satellite companies for carrying their channels, as is done with specialty channels.

To protect consumers, CTV is calling for a review of how cable and satellite companies bundle and bill consumers for the TV channels they choose.

Major cable and satellite carriers lodged a complaint with the CRTC on Friday, saying its "Save Local TV" campaign violates the the terms of the Broadcasting Act.

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Uwe Paschen

at 04:39 on May 23rd, 2009

Thank you for the post here BC.

Karl Gotthardt - albertacowpoke

at 05:58 on May 23rd, 2009

There is also a petition on line. For more info click here

ricknight

at 07:59 on May 23rd, 2009

I'm going to recommend this story because it's important.

If the funding model is changed broadcasters will receive more revenue for their signals, but the flow through cost to the consumer from the cable companies is likely.

Perhaps when we're paying for all TV we may get a more a la carte choice in the channels we pick from those cable companies.

Disclosure: current CTV employee.

nora mitton (not verified)

at 16:15 on May 26th, 2009

I am a regular viewer of local tv and it is refreshing to get all the martime shows and news and entertainment. Please do not take off our local tv programs.

nora mitton hampton new brunswick (not verified)

at 16:21 on May 26th, 2009

Local tv is very informative and should be kept on , the cable stations take our money and give us what they choose to show. keep up the good work ctv and asn