CHUM LIMITED AND ASTRAL MEDIA INC. RESPOND TO CRTC DECISION ON DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION AND SATELLITE RADIO CNW CHUM Limited and Astral Media Inc. announced today their response to the CRTC decision on digital subscription and satellite radio, wherein the Commission licensed CHUM/Astral Media's proposed digital subscription radio service, CSRC, along with the two U.S. supported satellite services.
"We are extremely disappointed with the Commission's decision. Though they have slightly raised the bar for the U.S. supported applicants by requiring them to carry a 10% level of Canadian channels, this is a significantly lower threshold than recent regulatory precedents such as the licensing of pay audio services and direct-to-home satellite," said Paul Ski, Executive Vice President Radio, CHUM Limited. "The Commission has offered unprecedented access to the Canadian market for entities whose content and infrastructure are effectively U.S. controlled and originated, with a very nominal Canadian content requirement."
"It is unrealistic to expect that an all-Canadian service such as ours can compete with undertakings whose channels are 90% U.S. originated. The licensing framework created by these decisions is clearly inequitable," said Ski. CSRC proposed 50 to 100 channels created in Canada - all meeting the CRTC's prescribed commercial radio Cancon requirements. In addition, CSRC offered a minimum of 15 French language services and a minimum of 10 services reflecting Canada's ethnocultural and aboriginal diversity, upholding all policies and regulations flowing from the Broadcasting Act.
"Beyond our own interests, this decision will concern many stakeholders in the Canadian broadcasting system," said Jacques Parisien, President of Astral Media Radio. "In the coming weeks, we will be consulting with others in the creative community, those involved in music, writing, film, television and interactive media to consider the implications of this decision and options for response."
Details of CHUM and Astral Media's CSRC application are available at www.chumlimited.com/CSRC. |