The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that last week, Canada's big three cable companies were called on the carpet by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to explain their implementation of so-called skinny-basic packages mandated by the regulator last year. Guest columnist Grant Hall writes that the idea was to provide basic cable TV service for $25. The joke was on the public and the CRTC because $25 was just the starting point for most consumers. For Canadians who truly want to "maximize choice and affordability," as CRTC policy is designed to do, the legal options are limited. Those lucky enough to live in a major city can put up an over-the-air antenna to get a similar slate of channels at no cost and in full HD quality. Many rural consumers and Northerners have virtually no alternative options for live, linear TV. The current competitive landscape in Canada is untenable for today's consumers, who want to watch what they want, when they want and on the device they want -- and not pay for channels they don't watch. While Bell and Rogers made some concessions for "skinny basic" last week, more change is needed. It's time to embrace the digital age.