peterr (05/14/83)
Canadian cable subscribers are being presented with an odd spectacle this weekend as the "lively arts" pay TV channel C Channel stages a "Survivathon" which looks for all the world like a PBS pledge drive. About a week ago, the channel's bank said they had to come up with between $3M and $4M or face shutting down at the end of May. With only 25,000 subscribers nation-wide, they simply aren't making enough money. Some reasons for the lack of response to the service are a only-8-hr-a-day schedule and very little publicity. C Channel's response is to switch to a 24-hr schedule and turn off the scrambler from Friday night (the 13th) to Monday morning (the 16th). With this, media attention, and a spattering of one to two minute "subscription drives", they hope to double their number of subscribers. The pledges follow the PBS style exactly, with appeals to support quality programming, and suggestions that viewers urge their friends to subscribe. It is quite bizarre to see such things on a channel for which one normally pays $16 a month. Nevertheless, if you've been even marginally considering subscribing, and can afford it, I'd suggest you give them a look; they seem to be the best hope for cultural and innovative pay TV programming and they certainly need subscribers. If you just don't think it's worth it, or can't afford it, you can enjoy the free TV; the schedule seems rather up in the air, but will likely contain some Chaplin movies that they've scheduled recently. Anyone know how many subscribers CBS' cultural cable channel had at their peak? (They folded last year, after losing $30M) Re "V": I agree; the symbolism was so obvious it was occasionally funny, especially the pseudo-swastika. I was most disappointed that it turned out to be a pilot and thus they couldn't come up with a good sci-fi ending (which WAS hinted at with the comments about reptiles not liking heat).