…old-fashioned taxes

Canadian government figure out a brand new Alternative to tax its subjects. As of September 2009, all cable and satellite TV customers will have to pay an extra 1.5% of their bill. Guess where they promise for the money to go to? To subsidize local TV stations in markets of less than 1 million people. There are at least 3 things that a wrong with that, besides being a way to grab more money from already cash-strapped taxpayers:

1. How do you define a “market”?


2. There are only 30 million people live in Canada, how many markets can there possibly be?


3. So, if I decide to live in a smaller community, does it mean everyone else should pay for my entertainment?

Of course, there are Existing Alternatives to resist this new invention:

1. You can stop watching TV


2. Switch back to antenna and watch whatever channels are still available in analogue


3. Steal satellite signal from US

Could this be the true hidden agenda?

For more information check out http://www.crtc.gc.ca/

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Alternatives to Cable TV

Dave Drager of the MakeUseOf.com published a wonderful article about great Existing Alternatives to cable TV. Basically he reviews a number of great services online that provide free access to most of the TV shows that are mainly available online. Most of the services can’t quite provide full substitute for cable, plus you’d have to figure out the whole PC-TV hookup and manage all the more remotes. It is without the doubt the future of the TV, though.
But wait, there are already plenty of
Existing Alternatives to cable…

1. How about no TV at all? Imagine all the extra time you’d spend with friends and family! Imagine all the money saved on cable and on having to upgrade to the latest set! If that’s too radical, then how about…
2. Disconnecting cable is yet another Existing Alternative . Most of the popular shows are now available on DVDs. Renting those does not cost as much (especially with the advent of such services as Netflix and Zip.ca). And you can’t put the price on digital quality no-commercial all-night marathons with special features!
   


3. And finally, good old-fashioned “rabbit ears” (aka dipole antenna). We all heard about inevitable coming of digital TV, but analogue broadcasters are still out there in full swing. Some cities have up to 20 channel in crisp analogue. This also comes with an additional benefit of avoiding cable companies messing up the programming. For example, when Super Bowl is broadcasted in Canada, all the good commercials are usually replaced by Canadian material. Well, not if you are watching analogue broadcaster from the States… Now that is the greatest Existing Alternative of them all!