So in Canada, Shaw customers (and where I lived growing up, everyone got Shaw) get a funny treat around the holiday season since 1989. One of the upper channels turns into just a continuous loop feed of a Yule log burning on a fireplace. It’s pretty much the video version of Desert Bus–every once in a while, if you pay attention, a hand breaks into the frame and jostles the log with a poker. And that’s it.

It was kind of funny because it was there, but pretty worthless! It felt like you could think of it as a satire on cheap, formulaic programming, or the ridiculousness of trying to simulate idyllic warmth with a TV screen, but a silly enough novelty thrown on for no extra charge.

In its registration information package, Shaw announced that the Yule Log Channel will be moving to digital cable paid content. And not only that, but video-on-demand! Your purchase of 99 cents will get you 1 hour and 55 minutes of sweet sweet log burning action. You better get all the value for money you can out of that.

It goes to charity, so that is pretty cool. But it wasn’t made clear until they hastily corrected the CBC report I’m quoting (fun fact: the correction was published as I was writing this post) that it will still coming in for free. All of this combines to show that maybe Shaw are taking their ludicrous feed a little too seriously.

Laugh at them for it, and then buy the program–Shaw will match and donate proceeds to a local charity. But you better watch all 1 hour and 55 minutes. You might miss something.

[Shaw offers yule log TV on VoD] (CBC.ca)
[Shaw’s yule log now pay TV] (Vancouver Sun)

This post first appeared in the LoadingReadyRun forums. Inspiration or procrastination? As the Curies say, baby, it’s both, but who cares.