April 28, 2014
SHARE
CANADALAND
#30 Canadian Television Is Doomed
The CRTC is unbundling cable channels, but will anyone subscribe to cable TV in 5 years anyhow?

The CRTC is unbundling cable channels, but will anyone subscribe to cable TV in 5 years anyhow? And if we don’t, who will fund Canadian TV and film? Insights from George Burger, a veteran of the Canadian TV and film industry who is now an executive at VMedia, an Internet TV service.

Guest:

George Burger (link)

Links:

Michael Geist in the Toronto Star on the CRTC’s TV “reset” (link)

The VBox (link)

Topics discussed:

Why do we have to pay for so many channels we don’t want? Will the CRTC actually get rid of channel bundling? Does the whole system make sense anymore? Are people actually cutting their cords and leaving cable TV? What will we watch instead? Why isn’t the Internet regulated by the CRTC? Will CanCon TV and film survive a post-cable TV universe? Will anyone care? What about the people who make TV and film?

More from this series
School prisons, inappropriate relationships, teen pregnancy rates, and the mysterious Bioscience building in Edmonton.
June 4, 2026
“There were people who came in here to tell me I'm a dog. But there are lots of other people who are here having a conversation and lots of other people who made it possible for us to continue to have the conversation.” -Chrystia Freeland
June 1, 2026
It was three weeks after my honeymoon and it was a little kind of like, "The honeymoon is over, honey. I'm going, into an Ebola outbreak.” -Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Ric Bienstock
May 25, 2026
“ My mom was near finished this book. She said to the doctor, ‘I just need 10 days to get everything in order for my book.’” -Anna Dewar Gully
May 18, 2026
 I think we need to respect what the families want and not force them to do something for anybody else but their own healing and their own search for justice. -Kisha Supernant, Professor of Anthropology at the University of Alberta
May 11, 2026
Rage Bait, Activist Aesthetics, Pinterest Slop, and more…
May 7, 2026
“Journalists ruined your reputation, not with evidence, with a narrative. And when they come for you, there's no way to fight back… until now. Introducing Objection!” -ad for Objection.ai
May 4, 2026
 None of it makes sense because it's all unbelievable. -Katie Steele
April 27, 2026
all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
CANADALAND