Since moving out to Watson, I have been using (and mostly enjoying) Bell TV over satellite. The PVR works great, the digital HD quality is superb (I’d say, even better than Shaw cable was in Saskatoon), and the channel choice has been great.
Until now.
I recently received this notice in the mail:
Effective April 19, 2012, the Salt and Light channel will no longer be part of the Bell TV channel lineup and you will no longer be charged the $2.50 monthly fee for this channel.
Salt and Light TV is a Canadian, Catholic channel which produces a lot of fantastic, original content and also broadcasts major Catholic events. For an example of what they do, check out the recently-released documentary, “Put Out Into The Deep”. I’ll certainly miss it from the lineup.
On Bell’s part, I’m not sure what the thinking is. They have so many redundant channels that I cannot imagine that bandwidth is the issue. I have, by my count, at least 3-4 each of the major US networks (NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox) in high definition (HD). I have about the same number of each in standard definition (SD). I have two TSN HD feeds. Two each of the various regional Sportsnet feeds in HD. Discovery World HD appears twice, as does TLC HD and National Geographic HD. And, again, there are duplicates of almost all of this in SD. There is even a high definition channel that is dedicated to a freaking aquarium.
There is clearly ample bandwidth available on their satellite feed for a uniquely Canadian SD channel.
But if Catholics in Canada want a Canadian-produced network in SD that is loaded with Canadian content (hello, CRTC!), we can’t get it on Bell (or Shaw satellite, for that matter).
What’s up with that?
Bell, please do the right thing and restore Salt and Light TV!
