I think that the most troubling aspect of the new billing practices are that they don't have anything to do with managing their own networks, but are a direct shot at alternatives to traditional broadcast television. I don't think that it is a coincidence that Shaw has changed their tune somewhat and have started acting a little more like Bell since the acquisition of Global TV. Netflix, iTunes, and other entertainment options (legal ones too), are a serious threat to their traditional television/cable business.
Although customers shifting from cable to internet entertainment was a concern before, it is heightened when the cable and internet company also has a stake in things like advertising revenue on a station like Global (or CTV in Bell's case, etc).
This is exactly why we'll never see a Canadian version of Hulu. The old school television/cable/ISPs are propping up their traditional business model through regulatory intervention instead of adapting to how people are consuming media. The internet pipe is tightened to preserve the television business.
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