The Vancouver Sun reports in its Saturday edition that cable providers may get a reprieve from customers ditching their cable packages as they start to lure cord-cutters back with so-called Internet protocol television. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Sun says IPTV could be the saving grace for traditional cable providers, says Edward Jones analyst Dave Heger. In the United States, Comcast has reported improved numbers in video subscribers following the launch of its IP-based platform. "I do think there is something to the IP capabilities and the user experience," Mr. Heger said. Cable providers have been struggling with so-called cord-cutters. Four of Canada's telcos lost nearly 33,000 TV subscribers in their most recently reported quarters. Rogers Communications, BCE and Telus have all reported their second quarter results. They accumulated about 7,000 more losses in total than during the same quarters last year. In January, Shaw announced the launch of its FreeRange TV, which uses Comcast's IPTV platform. The move has already cut down on the numbers of customers leaving Shaw, said chief executive officer Bradley Shaw in a conference call with analysts after the company's latest quarterly report.