Netflix has announced that their services will be split in to two separate services, Netflix and Qwikster. According to the company, the streaming service will still be provided by Netflix, but their mail order DVD service shall be provided by Qwikster, which will also begin supplying video games. The decision to split the services has upset many people, who will now have to create two separate accounts if they want both services, effectively raising the price of a service that was previously offered under one bundle. The CEO of Netflix has apologized to subscribers for the way they communicated this decision to their customers, yet has made no mention of an apology for the increase in cost. Netflix has assured their customers there shall be no more increase in prices, and have promised to add a substantial amount of new content available for streaming over the next few months. In Canada, numerous broadcasting companies have called for a change in the way companies such as Netflix and Youtube Movies do business. The CEO of Astral Media, Ian Greenberg believes these companies should be subject to the same set of laws and regulations as Canadian companies in regards to taxes and acquisitions of local programming. “They don't have any rules whatsoever,” Greenbrg said. “Taxes are another issue. All that money is leaving the country. It doesn't help the economy. It doesn't employ people.” In all, 40 Canadian media companies are calling for a hearing on this issue. BM
