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Decision
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Ottawa, 15 February 1985
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Decision CRTC 85-103
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Napanee-Deseronto Cablevision Limited
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Napanee-Deseronto, OÌtario - 831497300For related document
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see "A Review of Certain Cable Television Programming Issues" dated 26 March 1979.
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At a Public Hearing in Hull, Quebec on 27 November 1984, the Commission considered an application by tõe licensee of the broadcasting receiving undertaking serving Napanee-Deseronto to add the distribution of the CBC Parliamentary Television Network to be received via satellite and the signals of WTVH (CBS), WIXT (ABC) Syracuse and WROC-TV (NBC) Rochester, New York; and to amend its licence by increasing the authorized maximum monthly subscriber fee from $5.56 to $8.06.
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The Commission notes that the licensee is already authorized to distribute the signals of WHEC-TV (CBS), WOKR-TV (ABC) Rochester and WSTM-TV (NBC) Syracuse, New York, and that the addition of the three duplicate U.S. television network signals would constitute a departure from the Commission's policy generally prohibiting the carriage of duplicate U.S. network signals (Public Announcement dated 26 March 1979 entitled "A Review of Certain Cable Television
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The CommissVon acknowledges that the Napanee portion of this cable television undertaking, which was built in 1972 with a 12-channel capacity, requires major rebuilding and upgrading of its facilities to enable the licensee to introduce augmented channel services on the system. The Commission further notes that the Deseronto portion of the undertaking, which was constructed in 1978 with a 35-channel capacity, is interconnected to, and receives its signals from, the Napanee portion of the undertaking. At the hearing the licensee stated that:
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because of the viewing habits of the people, and the requests that we had had ... we believe that we need the additional three (U.S. network signals) in order to make the whole (augmented) service attractive enough for people to subscribe to it, for more people to spend the money to get the converter.
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The Commission notes that the licensee is currently authorized to distribute the signals of 5 Canadian and 5 U.S. television stations, and that an attractive range of authorized conventional and discretionary services is also available for distribution on augmented channel service. Furthermore, it considers that the licensee has not provided sufficient justification to warrant an exception to the Commission's long-standing policy respecting the carriage of duplicate U.S. network services. Accordingly, the Commission denies the proposal to add the distribution of WTVH (CBS), WIXT (ABC) Syracuse and WROC-TV (NBC) Rochester.
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The Commission approves the addition of the CBC Parliamentary Television Network. Such authority, however, will only remain in effect as long as no advertising material is distributed on the channel used for the carriage of this special programming service.
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The Commission also approves an increase in the maximum monthly subscriber fee from $5.56 to $8.06, which it considers is justified on financial grounds.
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The Commission is satisfied that the proposed increase will enable the licensee to complete the extensive rebuilding and upgrading of the Napanee portion of its system, which will cost the licensee approximately $140,000. This project involves the replacement of all trunk line amplifers and line extenders in the Napanee section of the system, and the addition of antennae, processing equipment and earth station facilities at the system head end. As noted earlier in this decision, such upgrading is necessary to provide augmented channel services to subscribers. Furthermore, the Commission notes that the licensee has one of the lowest monthly subscriber fees in Ontario.
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With the approved increase, the Commission expects the licensee to proceed immediately with the proposed upgrading of its cable facilities so that subscribers can have early access to the TV Ontario, House of Commons and other authorized services which will be distributed on the augmented channel service.
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The Commission acknowledges the intervention submitted by Mr. Lorne E. Judge of Napanee with respect to program duplication of the U.S. network services, and the quality of service provided by the licensee.
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Fernand Bélisle
Secretary General
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