The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that the era of "pick-and-pay" television, which promises to let viewers choose only the channels they want and buy them individually, is drawing closer. The Globe's James Bradshaw writes what is not known is whether it will be a better deal than what exists today. The headline issue at last year's Let's Talk TV hearings was so-called pick-and-pay. The CRTC believes Canadian viewers have been clamouring for more choice in their TV subscriptions, but TV providers and broadcasters countered that introducing pick-and-pay would harm industry revenues, lead to job losses and channel closures. Even so, the CRTC is requiring that TV distributors offer a slimmed-down, "skinny" basic package of channels and either a-la-carte channels or smaller bundles by March. By the end of 2016, every channel above the skinny basic bundle must be offered on a stand-alone basis. New research the lobby group Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing shows the notion of pick-and-pay is hugely popular; only 13 per cent of respondents felt negatively. However, when told it could lead to higher prices for some channels, viewers soon cooled to the idea.