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CBC fights Bell, Shaw over local TV

Several Canadian markets have no access to CBC news, sports

CBC-TV and companies that provide direct to home (DTH) satellite TV services are heading for a showdown before the CRTC over the provision of local television services in several Canadian markets.

The current rules require DTH providers to include a minimum of five CBC English and five French-language stations, including at least one from each time zone.

Bell TV carries nine of 14 CBC English stations while Shaw Direct carries 10.

That's created a situation where viewers in Edmonton, Regina, Windsor, Ont., Charlottetown, and Fredricton/St. John can't view local CBC stations if they subscribe to Bell TV.

Subscribers to Shaw Direct don't get local CBC-TV if they live in St. John's, Fredricton/St. John, Windsor, Ont., or Charlottetown.

In those markets, viewers can only get CBC news and local programming from another city.

"For years now CBC/Radio Canada has been working to establish strong regional roots and provide Canadians with programming that reflects their local communities," said Steven Guiton, vice-president and chief regulatory officer at the CBC.

"The rules as they stand today are undermining our efforts."

In Alberta, it's a particularly grievous situation for Edmonton Oilers fans who can only watch their provincial rivals the Calgary Flames, if they are Bell subscribers.

The direct to home satellite companies maintain that distribution of all local television stations is not feasible and could prevent them from being competitive with cable.

The CRTC will hear from both sides at a public hearing in Gatineau, Que., on Nov. 16.

The commission is accepting public comments on the issue until Sept. 8.

I am honestly going to watch this as it unfolds. I just hope the end result is not like what happend with DirecTV and Dish with the whole Nasa fiasco or even Angel and ION which should be public ally broadcasted.

CBC wants greater satellite access

Toronto Sun

OTTAWA — The CBC is asking the federal television regulator to force satellite carriers Bell and Shaw to offer all its French and English-language stations to their customers.

CBC spokesman Angus McKinnon told QMI Agency that nearly a third of television viewers in Canada are satellite subscribers.

Without a satellite presence, stations in Edmonton, Regina, Charlottetown, Fredericton, Windsor and St. John’s are loosing lucrative advertising revenues, he said.

Bell TV said it currently offers 23 CBC and Radio-Canada local stations, including six affiliates.

“It’s not enough, particularly in Quebec,” said McKinnon, where Bell carries only four of its eight stations.

“Many Canadians don’t currently have access to their local station.”

McKinnon said CBC has never been able to successfully negotiate carriage with Bell TV or Shaw Direct and the problem has existed since 1995.

But Bell spokeswoman Jacqueline Michelis told QMI Agency, Bell doesn’t have the satellite capacity to carry “every single local station” and points out it carries local CBC news from Charlottetown and Fredericton.

“Countless times we have approached CBC with creative ways to make sure subs (subcribers) get access to local programming, including by creating 'omnibus channels' which would carry the unique local programming of different CBC stations at different times of day. But the CBC refuses,” she said.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission obliges satellite carriers to carry a minimum of five CBC and five Radio-Canada stations per time zone.