Episode 31: Listen or download here or subscribe via iTunes or with any other program via the TV, Eh? feed
Our guest this week is writer/producer Jim Henshaw, talking about the state of the Canadian television industry aka The Moment of Absolute Certainty Never Arrives.
Before that, Anthony and I chat about The Shat hosting the Genie Awards on March 10, those darn loud ads the CRTC wants to hear you rant about, and Anthony rants about Don Cherry renewing his contract with CBC. We also tease next week’s interview with Ken Finkleman of Good Dog with the news that it premieres March 6 with sampling starting February 28.
Your hosts
- Anthony Marco can be found at Dyscultured and lovehatethings and Best Episode Ever, and on Twitter here and here.
- Diane Wild can be found here at TV, eh? and on Twitter here and here.
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So, after listening to the episode I read Jim’s post. I don’t feel any closer to an answer to the basic questions of what to do to fix things than before. Maybe a longer interview? Maybe invite Jim more often, eventually coaxing others on to be willing to have a debate?
Here is my problem (in the form of a multi-part rant :-).
I’m finding it harder and harder to keep cable. I have a few shows I like to watch, and some that I’m really into. It would be much cheaper to just buy the full season DVDs of all the shows I am really into.
It is far beyond cost, and towards disgust in the business practises and attitudes towards their customers of the oligopolistic Canadian phone, cable and satellite companies. Yesterday I phoned and cancelled some more services I previously had from Rogers because of that issue. http://BillC32.ca/5286
One of these days I’m going to snap after listening to these raging lunatics in front of the CRTC or a parliamentary committee, and cancel the service entirely. I’m already on TekSavvy for landline voice/data and WIND for wireless voice/data, trying to stay as far away from Bell, Rogers, and Shaw as I can.
Like a Conservative party member might feel if forced to make a large monthly political donation to the Bloc in order to be allowed to vote, I am feeling more and more that way about the BDU’s and incumbent phone companies in Canada.
(end of that rant, onto the next)
Jim’s post reminds me about the major problem with all that. If the oddball pseudo-statistics of television ratings is what is the primary decision behind what shows are going to be made, it will conflict with those who are trying to skip that intermediary. Fewer shows that are of interest to more picky audiences would see new episodes or would be produced in the first place, as DVD sales are sometimes a good 2+ years after production.
You might think that digital downloads would offer one possible answer, but for reasons that are falsely claimed to have something to do with “Copyright”, the files I can pay for in the few scenarios where that is offered don’t work on the computing platforms I’m willing to own. If I want new content that way I’m pretty much going to have to infringe copyright, something I’m trying hard to avoid. The more people appear to be infringing copyright, the stupider major copyright holders become, and the harder they make it to actually pay for content.
Not that the bogus statistics used attempt to tell the difference between people turning off their TVs, switching to alternatives, or infringing,… but that’s a rant for another day.
So what is a fan of scripted television to do? I have money that I want to spend to ensure that shows that I like are made. I don’t want to be part of the statistics that suggests people aren’t viewing.
I happen to be a big science fiction fan, and wouldn’t mind taking a third of what I’m currently paying to Rogers and send it to the Space channel. Given ownership stupidity Space is owned by CTVGlobemedia, which is being re-purchased by Bell, so it is highly unlikely that a direct feed bypassing a BDU will be possible.
I have purchased DVD sets of Sanctuary, and a few other shows with some cancon (Caprica, BSG, all made in Vancouver).
Is that all I can do?