The Canadian Association of Broadcasters has filed an intervention to Bell Canada’s application to the CRTC to carry satellite subscription radio. CAB stated that, while it ‘does not oppose the application by Bell in principle, the application raises a number of matters that need to be addressed by the Commission before authorizing the distribution of subscription radio services by Bell or by broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) in general.’
In particular, CAB noted that ‘this new method of distribution will change the underlying business plans of the satellite radio undertakings, and that if a BDU is to distribute these sorts of services, they must provide a majority of Canadian audio programming channels.’ CAB also expressed concern about the challenge to traditional radio programming.
www.cab-acr.ca
