|
Public Notice
|
|
Ottawa, 11 September 1987
|
|
Public Notice CRTC 1987-203
|
|
Distribution of Television Previews
|
|
For related documents: see Public Notices CRTC 1983-7 dated 19 January 1983, 1983-110 and 1983-111 dated 31 May 1983, 1983-137 dated 30 June 1983, 1983-228 dated 30 September 1983, 1984-1 dated 5 January 1984, 1985-6 and 1985-7 dated 10 January 1985, 1985-43 dated 7 March 1985, 1986-96 dated 25 April 1986; and Decision CRTC 83-635 dated 1 August 1983.
|
|
Cable television licensees are currently authorized to distribute unscrambled previews of pay television and specialty programming network services subject to the following provisions:
|
|
° the previews may not be exhibited during major national broadcasting rating periods such as those conducted by BBM and Nielsen;
|
|
° programming distributed during these preview periods may only consist of programs that are part of the pay television or specialty programming services actually offered to subscribers;
|
|
° the scheduling and content of such programming must meet the same standards that currently apply to conventional broadcasters;
|
|
° the distribution of such previews may not cause the removal of any Canadian service that is currently being offered;
|
|
° the previews may be distributed on the channels normally used to distribute the Canadian pay television or specialty programming services or on any other special programming or currently unused channel, other than the community channel or the special programming channel used for the distribution of promotional material (more commonly known as the Barker channel).
|
|
The Commission has recently received a request to review its current restriction with respect to the distribution of previews on the Barker channel in those cases where no other special programming channels are available for such distribution.
|
|
In considering this request, the Commission has been sensitive to the specific concerns expressed about the disruptive effect that such previews and related promotional material have had on existing pay television subscribers when the existing pay television channels have been used for the distribution of previews.
|
|
The Commission, therefore, authorizes the distribution of previews on the Barker channel, only where no other special programming channels are available. The Commission wishes to emphasize, however, that all of the other guidelines noted above for the distribution of pay television or specialty programming network service previews remain unchanged. In addition, access to the promotional channel must be made available on a non-discriminatory basis for the promotion of all pay television and specialty programming network services which a licensee is authorized to exhibit.
|
As noted in Public Notice CRTC 1985-6, adherence to these requirements will be reviewed with the licensees concerned at licence renewal time.
|
|
Fernand Bélisle Secretary General
|
|
|