Local-TV deathwatch

Why did CKX Brandon go mams-up? Blame captioning.

Claassen added the CRTC’s requirement that 100% of content be available with closed captioning was also stumbling block. He said Bluepoint was unaware that the station was not yet fully compliant – 164 of its 168 weekly hours of programming could be viewed with closed captioning previously – until alerted by the CRTC. “The cost to do those four hours is incredible,” said Claassen.

I call bullshit. If this is live news we’re talking about, then four hours a week of the shittiest real-time captioning would run 600 bucks. That’s 31 grand a year. This is hardly enough to shut down a TV station, or even pound a nail in its coffin. Besides, they could have applied for an exemption.

2 Comments

  • Anon says:

    Only Joe Clark (“Fake Ouimet” Are we never going to have real Ouimet opine some day?) would obsess over closed captioning.
    Good call, but the economics in general hurt the Brandon Station. They claim that 60 to 70 percent get TV from sat dishes and the satellite companies wouldn’t put Brandon TV on the sats for them to pick up, thus no advertising market.
    There are two community stations in town though, just not a commercial one.

    Mackenzie Seeds makes fine flowers. See you at the Virden Indoor Rodeo.

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