Bell Stops Selling The Superstations ($5/mo)

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cslusarc

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New!!!!

Pursuant to new CRTC rules, Bell has discontinued the sale of the Superstations Package $5.00/month to new customers. If you have it on your account prior to May 11th you'll be grandfathered until you remove the package. In order to get the Supersations from now on you either need Movie Central, The Movie Network, Superchannels or Popcorn Plus.

Note: The Superstations package was never advertised, but was used as a customer loyalty tool when customers did not want to subscribe to any of the premium movies packages but still wished to retain the US Superstations.
 
I think the new!!! rule is going on 20 years old. In Ontario Superchannel was advertised and had a free preview.
 
That regulation has been around ever since "The Superstations" were approved for carriage. They were also available with Family Channel, since it was originally a premium channel. Maybe the bundling with Family Channel has been stopped.
 
I don't think Family's status as a "pay" service has changed, so I wouldn't point to that as the reason.
 
Family is no longer a premium service such as TMN and MC. IIRC it was originally $5-$10/mo on its own. It is now bundled with other stations and has no special status. Except for the old regulation regarding Superstation bundling, it's just like all the other specialty channels.
 
I had the US superstation package ie 4 channels 294 296 297 and 298 for about for about 4 years the only reason I had them was for the sports on them but the sports starting disappearing. No more Bruins Hockey no more Red Sox baseball, no more Dodgers baseball. I got rid of the package in winter 2008 and I haven't really missed much. I do think bell tv should think about adding a couple of these channels to the sports 1 theme pack. I could never understand why 295 was included as part of sports 1 and 294 isn't. WPCH peachtree tv 294 is included with shaws full cable service which I do believe now is referred to as classic cable.
 
I want Bell TV to take WGN out of Sports 1. Since it is now basically just a CW affiliate, with some local sports, it make more sense to put it with other US networks. Why should we be forced to sub to Sports 1 in SD and HD order to get CW shows in HD? :confused:
 
The rule always existed... When I started working at ExpressVu in April 2006 they told us that US Superstation (4 channels:294 296 297 and 298) they told us we could not sell the channels individually, that we have to sell them with suscription to Movies East, Movies Central ot Movies West.

The thing is, even if the rule is there the system will let the agent do the transaction.Many agents working at ExpressVu didn't know such rule existed, and since the computer system let them perform the transation taught it was right (or permitted) to do it

Info Zone (the agents information tool) clearly states that US Superstation could not be added individually unless it's used as a retention tool (if a client threats to disconnect)

Due to AHT (Averable Handle Time) factor lots of agents, knowing the system will let them proceed the transaction, and knowing they will or will not get their bonus based on their RPC (Revenu per Call) won't bother arguing with the client to explain them they can't do it, and potentially loose a sale, they will just go ahead and do it
 
Scary Bob has a very good point there are only 2 us superstations left 294 WPCH and 296 WSBK the other 3 superstations are CW affiliates so bell tv should probably just include the 3 CW affiliates as part of the US Networks digital standards.
 
Family is treated like other channels, yes, but that doesn't mean it's original status as licensed by the CRTC has changed. Can anyone confirm that they are no longer considered a pay television service? As of a decision I saw in 2008 from the CRTC, it was still referred to as such. Accordingly, I don't know of any reason why you couldn't get the superstations if you subscribe to Family.
 
I could confirm... From the moment I entered at Express Vu (April 2006) to the moment I left Express Vu (september 2007) there was not such combo. I don't think that they added any such combo since. The only way to get the Superstation is to get the Movies, or to tell the agent you want to disconnect, in which case the agent could, as a retention tool sell you Superstations individually

For french clients who has Super Ecran the Superstations could be added for only 4$/month. The agent, for you to have that price must select POP CORN +. I don't think the system will let an agent order POP CORN + in a case where client doesn't suscribe to POP CORN (Super
 
I wonder if Bell is stopping the sale of the Superstations without a premium movies package because they will completely drop the 4 superstations on June 12th when analog TV signals are permanently shut off. [Either that or Bell needs to replace the SD versions of the Superstations with their HD Versions: KTLA-DT, WPIX-DT, WPCH-DT and WSBK-DT.]
 
It seems that LookTV was allowed to sell the superstations without the movie networks, despite the CRTC rule followed by Bell, Rogers, etc.

I realize that Look will be shutting down soon, but this is still worth figuring out how they skirted the rule on this issue?

See "Gold" package here:
http://look.ca/en/tv/tv_ontario.html
 
The part of this thread I don't understand is that everybody talks about this rule like it was a new rule, when, in fact, as I mentionned before, the rules was there in April 2006 when I started working at Express Vu.



The rule was present in 2006 when they probably had no idea what will happen on June 12 2009 so I don't think that the shut off of analog signal has nothing to do with it.
 
It has Family in the package. See, like I said before, it doesn't matter how it's packaged or what Bell says it can or can't do - the channel is still licensed by the CRTC as a pay service, and thus you can sell the Superstations with it.
 
Yes, I'd agree and say the analog cutoff has nothing to do with it. cslusarc, you are confusing digital with HD - there will still be standard definition digital versions of those channels. Digital does not necessarily equal HD.
 
Every BDU packages superstations differently. Bell only packages the Superstations with premium movie packages. Unlike other BDUs, Bell will not allow subscribers to subscribe to movie packages without the superstations. This is in direct contrast to the original intent of the CRTC to increase premium movie package subscriptions, not the other way around. *C (Shaw) packages the superstations with either Family channel or a movies package. Last time I looked, they also allow subscribing to movie packages without the superstations, as does Rogers. For someone who does not want the superstations, that results in a substantial savings. *C also packages Mpix separately from TMN.

Ex Agent EV, please don't assume that Bell's practices reflect CRTC regulations. Bell applies additional restrictions in order to increase revenues, reduce costs or meet contractual obligations. The practices of other BDUs often differ from Bell.

Family Channel was originally a premium service, similar to TMN. IIRC, in the late 1980s the CRTC changed their status to that of a class 1 specialty station. That allowed them to be be bundled with other specialty channels on analog cable.


Look's Gold included Family Channel so, according to the CRTC, it could include the Superstations. Look TV bent a lot of rules in order to retain customers. I wouldn't take their practices as meaningful in any way.
 
I sampled the superstations on Bell when I had MC for 2 months. The PQ is so lousy on them I never bothered watching them again.
 
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