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Sherbrooke, Quebec - 199714004
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Licence amendment - Approved
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1. In Public Notice CRTC 1997-149 dated 19 December 1997, the Commission announced that it had received an application by Vidéotron ltée requesting relief from the requirement to distribute the extra-regional signal of CBFT Montréal, a station owned and operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as part of the cable distribution undertaking serving Sherbrooke. The licensee indicated in its application that it was currently distributing CKSH-TV Sherbrooke, a local station affiliated to the CBC.
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2. The Commission received three interventions opposing this application, two from individuals and a third from the CBC. The two individual interveners based their objection on the fact that withdrawal of the CBFT Montréal service would mean loss of access to certain programs which are of interest to them and are not available over the air.
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3. For its part, the CBC indicated that the extra-regional signal CBFT is a priority service and that in accordance with section 17 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations (the regulations) the licensee is required to distribute the signal as part of the basic service and further, must assign it priority over the extra-regional service CFTM-TV (TVA) Montréal which the licensee distributes as part of the basic service.
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4. In reply to the interventions, Vidéotron ltée indicated that it would restore the CBFT Montréal service to its distribution list. However, in order to avoid having to shuffle services and inconveniencing its subscribers, the licensee indicated that it had entered into an agreement with the CBC whereby CBFT would be distributed on channel 18 of the basic service, and not on the basic band as required by section 17(2) of the regulations. As a result, the licensee proposed to amend its original request by requesting relief from the requirement to distribute CBFT on the basic band.
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5. In light of the above, the Commission approves the licensee's application, as amended, for relief from the requirement of section 17(2) of the regulations to distribute CBFT on the basic band of the cable distribution undertaking serving Sherbrooke. The licensee will distribute this service on channel 18, as part of the basic service.
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This decision is to be appended to the licence.
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Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General
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This document is available in alternative format upon request.
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