ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-769
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Route reference: 2010-295
Ottawa, 18 October 2010
Canwest Television GP Inc. (the general partner) and Canwest Media Inc. (the limited partner), carrying on business as Canwest Television Limited Partnership
Across Canada
Application 2010-0510-9, received 24 March 2010
Public Hearing in the National Capital Region
19 July 2010
Specialty A – Category 2 specialty service
The Commission approves an application for a broadcasting licence to operate a new Category 2 specialty service.
The application
1. Canwest Television GP Inc. (the general partner) and Canwest Media Inc. (the limited partner), carrying on business as Canwest Television Limited Partnership (Canwest) filed an application for a broadcasting licence to operate Specialty A, a national, English-language Category 2 specialty programming undertaking that would be devoted to action and adventure programming, from contemporary “popcorn” action and adventure films and series to classical westerns, rodeos and western horse shows.
2. Canwest is controlled by Canwest Global Communications Corp.
3. The applicant proposed to draw programming for the proposed service from the following program categories set out in Item 6 of Schedule I to the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, as amended from time to time: 5(b), 7(a), 7(b), 7(c), 7(d), 7(e), 7(f), 7(g), 8(a), 11, 12, 13 and 14.
4. The applicant stated that it would initially broadcast 50% of Specialty A’s programming in high definition, moving towards 90% by the end of the licence term.
5. The Commission received an intervention in opposition to this application from an individual. After examining the intervention the Commission determines that it does not raise any substantive issue relating to the present application. The intervention can be found on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings.”
Commission’s analysis and determinations
6. The Commission is satisfied that the application complies with the frameworks set out in Public Notice 2000-6 and Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100, with the approaches set out in Broadcasting Public Notices 2003-61 and 2006-74, and with all applicable terms and conditions set out in Public Notice 2000-171-1. Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by Canwest Television GP Inc. (the general partner) and Canwest Media Inc. (the limited partner), carrying on business as Canwest Television Limited Partnership, for a broadcasting licence to operate the national, English-language Category 2 specialty programming undertaking, Specialty A. The terms and conditions of licence are set out in the appendix to this decision.
Reminder
7. The Commission reminds the applicant that the distribution of this service is subject to the applicable distribution rules set out in Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100.
Secretary General
Related documents
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Regulatory frameworks for broadcasting distribution undertakings and discretionary programming services – Regulatory policy, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2008-100, 30 October 2008
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Regulatory framework for the licensing and distribution of high definition pay and specialty services, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2006-74, 15 June 2006
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The regulatory framework for the distribution of digital television signals, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2003-61, 11 November 2003
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Introductory statement – Licensing of new digital pay and specialty services – Corrected Appendix 2, Public Notice CRTC 2000-171-1, 6 March 2001
*This decision is to be appended to the licence.
Appendix to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-769
Terms and conditions of licence for the Category 2 specialty programming undertaking Specialty A
Terms
A licence will be issued once the applicant has satisfied the Commission, with supporting documentation, that the following requirements have been met:
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the applicant has entered into a distribution agreement with at least one licensed distributor; and
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the applicant has informed the Commission in writing that it is prepared to commence operations. The undertaking must be operational at the earliest possible date and in any event no later than 36 months from the date of this decision, unless a request for an extension of time is approved by the Commission before 18 October 2013. In order to ensure that such a request is processed in a timely manner, it should be submitted at least 60 days before that date.
The licence will expire 31 August 2017.
Conditions of licence
1. The licence will be subject to the conditions set out in Introductory statement – Licensing of new digital pay and specialty services – Corrected Appendix 2, Public Notice CRTC 2000-171-1, 6 March 2001.
2. The licence will be subject to the conditions set out in Implementation of the Accessibility Policy with respect to Category 2 pay and specialty services, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2010-355, 8 June 2010.
3. The licensee shall provide a national, English-language Category 2 specialty programming service devoted to action and adventure programming, from contemporary “popcorn” action and adventure films and series to classical westerns, rodeos and western horse shows.
4. The programming shall be drawn exclusively from the following categories set out in Item 6 of Schedule I to the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990, as amended from time to time:
5 (b) Informal education/Recreation and leisure
7 Drama and comedy
(a) Ongoing dramatic series
(b) Ongoing comedy series (sitcoms)
(c) Specials, mini-series or made-for-TV feature films
(d) Theatrical feature films aired on TV
(e) Animated television programs and films
(f) Programs of comedy sketches, improvisation, unscripted works, stand-up comedy
(g) Other drama
8 (a) Music and dance other than music video programs or clips
11 General entertainment and human interest
12 Interstitials
13 Public service announcements
14 Infomercials, promotional and corporate videos
5. In order to ensure that the licensee complies at all times with the Direction to the CRTC (Ineligibility of non-Canadians), P.C. 1997-486, 8 April 1997, as amended by P.C. 1998-1268, 15 July 1998, the licensee shall file, for the Commission’s prior review, a copy of any programming supply agreement and/or licence trademark agreement it intends to enter into with a non-Canadian party.
6. The licensee is authorized to make available for distribution a version of its service in high definition (HD) format, provided that not less than 95% of the video and audio components of the upgraded and standard definition versions of the service are the same, exclusive of commercial messages and of any part of the service carried on a subsidiary signal. Further, all of the programming making up the 5% allowance shall be provided in HD.
For the purposes of the conditions of this licence, including condition of licence 1, broadcast day means the period of up to 18 consecutive hours, beginning each day not earlier than six o’clock in the morning and ending not later than one o’clock in the morning of the following day, as selected by the licensee, or any other period approved by the Commission.
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