Summary

This article speculates on some of the implications of the new ruling from the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)  that by the end of 2016 television distributors will have to offer a basic package capped at $25 per month and give customers the ability to add individual channels or small bundles on top of that.

Getting Started

Appropriate Subject Area(s):

Entrepreneurship, business management, opportunity identification, marketing, target market

Key Questions to Explore:

  • How do CRTC regulations impact a market economy?
Study and Discussion Activity

Introduction to lesson and task:

This lesson explores the implications of government regulations on the marketplace.

Action (lesson plan and task):

  • Survey the class and ask them what TV channels are watched at home. List them on the board.
  • Sort the list with the class into those that are specialty channels and those that are not. What motivates them to watch what they watch?
  • Ask students to brainstorm the different ways you can watch TV today. Which way is most common at home? Do they watch TV differently than the rest of their family? Discuss as a class.
  • Distribute the article and allow a few minutes to read it.
  • Using Think-Pair-Share, ask students: “What does pick and pay mean? What will it mean for your family?”.
  • Divide the class in half. In pairs, have students discuss either a or b below:

(a) It is believed content distributors will make up any loss of revenue from the new regulation by increasing Internet fees. How do you think consumers will react?

(b) How will the shift in the CRTC regulations impact broadcasters that product the content?

  • Within the half class, have students share highlights of their discussion.
  • Have a representative from each question group share highlights with the class and discuss.

Consolidation of Learning:

  • In teams of four, have students develop a marketing strategy for a specialty TV station of their choice (from the ones listed on the board earlier) to ensure they keep current subscribers and gain new ones.  Within the strategy, students should identify the target market, key messages and how the messages will be conveyed.
Success and Additional Learning

Success Criteria:

  • Students are able to discuss the short- and long-term implications of the ruling on the individual companies, consumers and the economy.