The CBC is reporting a CRTC ruling that will allow the American channel “Spike TV” to remain on the air in Canada. Most interesting in the CBC report:
The CRTC saw a difference between Spike, which targets middle-class American males, and Men TV which features lifestyle programming for men from an urbane, sophisticated perspective.
Here’s what the CRTC wrote in its decision:
Spike TV argued that it is not competitive with Men TV for four key reasons. First, it argued that its nature of service is different from that of Men TV, given that Spike TV focuses on programming for “middle class American working men” while Men TV focuses on “men’s lifestyle programming from an urbane, sophisticated, cultured and slightly older Canadian men’s perspective.”
In other words, Spike is claiming that its programming is aimed at people who aren’t urbane, sophisticated, or cultured. American men.
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But most Canadian guys I know
But most Canadian guys I know love watching Spike.
It has all the shows we want/need without having to channel surf (except when StarTrek is on)!
Two sadneses arise in my mind
Two sadneses arise in my mind. It is sad that not aiming at a not urbane audience is noteworthy. It is sad that we need a bureaucracy to judge the relative urbanity of Spike TV as opposed to MenTV. Why can’t we just get the TV we want like we can with books, radio, internet and movies? Me, I want Sky Sports TV from the UK. I bet Australian sports TV would be a hoot - as would their particular Bruce TV. Pension off the CRTC.
I’m glad we have the CRTC to
I’m glad we have the CRTC to keep the cable channels to their word with their programming. When the American learning channel realized that home decorating and dating shows were more profitable than actual educational programming that was it, now they probably just keep the name for ironic reasons.
But the CRTC does a decent job of keeping on the case of Canadian channels to actually fulfill the mandate they were given in exchange for being granted licence to broadcast (essentially a portion of the public commons).
So I don’t think it’s sad that the CRTC is working on behalf of Canadian TV viewers. I do think it’s sad that the American Learning Channel plays trashy reality TV marathons.
God knows we need state
God knows we need state interference and an elaborate bureaucracy to save us from reality TV on half the channel numbers…even though they are on the other half at the same time.
Well, the alternative is to
Well, the alternative is to have them on all the channels.
Why so much distain for the one powerful institution we actually get to vote for?
Pop culture in the US (as
Pop culture in the US (as reflected on FM radio) is exceptionally dim-whitted and perhaps wouldn’t pass Canadian anti-hate legislation. Perhaps the CRTC has a point. It’s too bad, however, they can’t rule based on value.
I used to think Paul Harvey was a jack-ass, but compared to a show I heard the other day (and nothing special about it…) he’s a liberal moderate.
It becomes tiring rather quickly but until then it has a “can’t believe this is on the air” type of amusment factor.
So what’s Spike all about? I haven’t had the ‘pleasure’.
The program is the commercial
The program is the commercial. Oprah has become an infomercial, Letterman talks about how great HDTV is, News at Five investigates which toothpaste is best for you.
There’s more entertainment in looking outside my window than into the corporate spam box that is TV.
Who cares what the CRTC mandates, turn it off.
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