1 of 1- Mike
- Weekend Warrior
Offline - Registered: June 11, 2014
- Posts: 265
TVO
I don't have cable. I cut the cord a few years ago, so I take what OTA gives me. Actually, the choice isn't bad. Tonight, though, wasn't great so I surfed. Almost every time I surf I see that TVO is playing some kids' cartoon. Weekdays, weekends, mornings, midday, afternoons... it doesn't matter, there's some kids' cartoon. They're actually proud of it -- they call it TVO Kids. There's a billboard at my bus stop with this cute non-white baby (of course) with the caption "never stop learning". Meh, whatever. I guess we're all supposed to learn from cartoons.
When it's not TVO Kids, it's TVO Brits. I mean EVERY time it's not kids, it's some Brit show. I LOVE Brit shows and I BUY the DVDs to watch them -- Call the Midwife, Foyle, Midsomer, Downton, Lewis and (I REALLY recommend) Endeavour, but crimeny, this is Ontario. Why am I paying Ontario taxes for Brit shows? Bloody hell! The OTHER public broadcaster thinks there's nothing to cover EXCEPT Ontario. Toronto, specifically, but these guys? Oh no. Kids and Brits.
But TVO apologists will say, "There's The Agenda'"!
First, Steve Paiken is the most over-rated thing since AM Stereo.
Second, The Agenda is almost NEVER about Ontario . We have the national broadcaster who I would argue does an okay job of covering Canada. Why is TVO trying to CBC Lite? That is when it's not TVO Kids and TVO Brits.
Today there was a major announcement by K Wynne and the usual suspects about a carbon tax. Although it makes my eyes glaze over personally, I am smart enough to know it's a HUGE ONTARIO story!! . For example some union guy says it could kill 500 thousand jobs in, wait for it, ONTARIO! And it made the National News on the OTHER public broadcaster I pay for. You know; the one that ISN'T a wannabe.
And what's on The Agenda tonight? The flagship TVO show? Something called, "The Dark Stuff" ( or whatever) What aliens are out there?
I will let you supply the obvious punchline.
Sheesh.
- Jody Thornton
- Sticker Spotter
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- From: Richmond Hill, Ontario
- Registered: March 27, 2014
- Posts: 73
Re: TVO
First off, I'm not sure that AM Stereo was all that overrated. I remember it hardly garnered any attention at all. And likewise, I don't hear tons of people shouting Steve's name to the hills either, but I think he's quite a competent interviewer. Steve is indeed mild-mannered, but does get to the juice of the matter. He appeals to those of us who want more substance I suppose.
I've mentioned before that I wasn't bothered that The Agenda topics didn't pertain to just Ontario. It's television for Ontario residents, but it doesn't have to be about Ontario. To me it's a go to place for political analysis, that's for sure. And that can be provincial, federal or stateside. Again, no problems with me that it can deal with outside of Ontario.
Cheers,
Jody Thornton
- Mike
- Weekend Warrior
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- Registered: June 11, 2014
- Posts: 265
Re: TVO
@ Jody,
What bothers me is that we have an entire government agency (and we all know what THAT means in terms of the number of employees and their compensation) providing a platform for ONE alleged current events show , some cartoons and British TV shows! We have money for that. But if you have an autistic kid, you can go screw yourself!
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Thread Starter- Jody Thornton
- Sticker Spotter
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- From: Richmond Hill, Ontario
- Registered: March 27, 2014
- Posts: 73
Re: TVO
Oh I get that completely. I REALLY do. But TV Ontario existed in the much beloved days of the Bill Davis government, the hated Rae days, and so forth. Just because today's Liberals make most of us start seething, doesn't mean I want media options to go away, that many other markets don't have. But I hear you.
Cheers,
Jody Thornton
- ONEIL
- Unpaid Intern
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- Registered: February 16, 2015
- Posts: 9
Re: TVO
Not sure which "cartoons" you're referencing but a lot of the children programming was done in Canada. I still get the odd cheque for "1.89" for use in some obscure country. I may be completely wrong but I have this reference in my mind that TVO can provide a different to feed to schools besides the normal cable feed.
- Mike
- Weekend Warrior
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- Registered: June 11, 2014
- Posts: 265
Re: TVO
@ ONEIL -- the separate feed theory to schools is VERY interesting. One of my daughters is a teacher. I must ask her.
When I cancelled my satellite a few years ago I was delighted to discover the sub carriers (or whatever they're called) on PBS. First, instead of PBS from only 1 city, I have 2 (Plattsburg and Norwood, NY) and THEY have 2 sub carriers each for a total of SIX PBS stations. There is some overlap on the Main PBS Network, but the other 4 are all different. It's great!
PS @ ONEIL -- when I was a kid I would have LOVED to have had a channel that aired cartoons all day. But N O T Canadian productions. Hercules anyone? lol
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Thread Starter- Jody Thornton
- Sticker Spotter
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- From: Richmond Hill, Ontario
- Registered: March 27, 2014
- Posts: 73
Re: TVO
Mike wrote:
Hercules anyone? lol
That's Meeeee Herc - That's Meeeeee!
(I had to hold up my ring and let the thunder and lightning start, just to ward off all you TVO naysayers... lol)
Cheers,
Jody Thornton
- bucky
- Sticker Spotter
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- Registered: March 27, 2014
- Posts: 64
Re: TVO
nevertheless, one will note CRTC 2015-405 which determines The licensee shall devote at least 50% of the evening broadcast period to the broadcast of Canadian programs.
Moreover, in that same decision TVO confirmed the following:
TVO stated that approximately 70% of its schedule is dedicated to children’s and youth programming broadcast mainly during the 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. portion of the broadcast day. TVO’s exhibition requirements should therefore take into account the nature of the programming being broadcast and its target audience: children’s programming during the daytime when children are watching, and documentaries and current affairs programming in the evening broadcast period when adults are the viewing audience.
Therefore, bitch as you will, TVO is fulfilling their mandate.
- ONEIL
- Unpaid Intern
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- Registered: February 16, 2015
- Posts: 9
Re: TVO
@ ONEIL -- the separate feed theory to schools is VERY interesting. One of my daughters is a teacher. I must ask her.
When I cancelled my satellite a few years ago I was delighted to discover the sub carriers (or whatever they're called) on PBS. First, instead of PBS from only 1 city, I have 2 (Plattsburg and Norwood, NY) and THEY have 2 sub carriers each for a total of SIX PBS stations. There is some overlap on the Main PBS Network, but the other 4 are all different. It's great!
PS @ ONEIL -- when I was a kid I would have LOVED to have had a channel that aired cartoons all day. But N O T Canadian productions. Hercules anyone? lol
I hear what you say about Canadian Production...but it's not 100% true in the animated series category. A large number of Canadian talent have been the voices of some of the most popular cartoon series world wide. The production company may not have been Canadian owned but a lot of the post work etc. was done in Canada. I never ventured into "character voicing" but I do know quite a few who did. They made quite a decent living doing so. They're also highly in demand for the current wave of Fan-cons. I had a neighbor in Toronto a few years back who worked for a Disney company that did all kinds of computer generated animation work in Toronto becaue thats where the most talented people could be found. Sheridan College lead the way with it's animation courses. In a unusual route, our tax dollars did make a tidy return for the economy. I'm sure thre are others here that may know much more about that industry than I do.
Last edited by ONEIL (June 9, 2016 10:06 PM)
- Mike
- Weekend Warrior
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- Registered: June 11, 2014
- Posts: 265
Re: TVO
@ Mike -- good job in getting some chatter going! lol
Here's an idea.. this was a gargantuan news week in Ontario -- the aforementioned carbon tax, the auditor general's report condemning the Ontario government for making millionaires (again) out of more Liberal hacks at the PanAm games, etc. How about a public affairs show on the publicly funded Ontario TV station that asks some tough questions about these topics? And not with Susan Delacore and the other usual Toronto Star suspects. (God, I'd love to know how much she makes doing those panel discussions. My guess is twice as much as The Star pays her!) Maybe Ezra Levant! lmao
:D
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Thread Starter