Rogers Communications CEO Guy Laurence says “skinny-basic” TV bundles are your grandmother’s cable.

Asked by an analyst during the company’s first quarter earnings call Monday if there is a specific type of customer that opts for the stripped down package, Laurence had a quick response.

“It’s your grandmother,” he said.

Wireless, cable, media and Internet giant Rogers in March launched its starter TV option and Laurence said the company has had a number of inquiries. “However, interestingly, the majority of customers are choosing to stay with their current package.

“It is a bit like going to McDonald’s,” he said. “We have now given customers the chance to buy a basic hamburger and fries separately and some do, but most customers stick with the meal option of a quarter pounder, fries and a drink because they are better value for money.

“This is only an intermediate step to full pick and pay late this year, so we will have to see how the full picture unfolds as the year progresses.”

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in 2015 ordered TV providers to offer the basic bundles capped at $25 per month as a way to give consumers more choice and as an affordable option for lower income subscribers including seniors.

Consumers and public advocacy complain that the companies have done little to promote the low margin offerings, and in some cases have withheld discount pricing available with costlier packages. CRTC chair Jean Pierre Blais has urged customers to negotiate and even switch cable providers to land the best deals.

Skinny basic is part of series of regulatory reforms to the TV broadcasting system that also require providers to offer standalone channel selection options by the end of the year, a move that may cause some specialty channels to fail.

The CRTC last week said 66,000 Canadians of the 11.49 million households subscribed to cable or satellite TV have signed up for the basic packages since their introduction at the start of March.

The entry-level bundle must give preeminence to local and regional news programming and include local stations and provincial educational channels. It may also include affiliates of U.S. networks as is the case with the Rogers offer, though their inclusion is not mandated.

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