ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2011-208
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Route reference: 2011-58
Ottawa, 24 March 2011
Addition of SIC Noticias to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis
The Commission approves a request to add SIC Noticias to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis and amends the lists accordingly. The revised lists are available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Broadcasting Sector.”
Introduction
1. The Commission received a request dated 16 November 2010 from Cogeco Cable Inc. (Cogeco) for the addition of SIC Noticias, a non-Canadian third-language service, to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis (the digital lists).
2. Cogeco described SIC Noticias as a 24-hour, high-quality news service in the Portuguese language.
3. In Broadcasting Public Notice 2004-96, the Commission stated that, going forward, requests to add non-Canadian, third-language general-interest services to the digital lists would generally be approved, subject to any requirement deemed appropriate by the Commission. In the case of non-Canadian, third-language services that provide narrowly targeted or “niche” programming, the Commission stated that it would continue to apply a case-by-case assessment to determine whether the service is partially or totally competitive with Canadian pay or specialty services.
4. In regard to non-Canadian news services, however, the Commission considers a more open-entry approach to be consistent with the importance it places on a diversity of editorial points of view. Accordingly, in paragraph 246 of Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100, the Commission stated the following:
[...] absent clear evidence, as determined by the Commission, that a non-Canadian news service will violate Canadian regulations, such as those regarding abusive comment, the Commission will be predisposed to authorize non-Canadian news services for distribution in Canada.
5. In Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2011-58, the Commission called for comments on the proposed addition of SIC Noticias to the digital lists pursuant to the approach described above. The Commission stated that parties wishing to submit that SIC Noticias should not be authorized for distribution in Canada should provide detailed support for their position.
6. The Commission received three comments in response to Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2011-58, all supporting the addition of SIC Noticias to the digital lists. The comments can be found on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings.”
Commission’s analysis and determination
7. In the absence of opposing comments, the Commission approves the addition of SIC Noticias to the digital lists and amends the lists of eligible satellite services accordingly. The lists of eligible satellite services are available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Broadcasting Sector” and may be obtained in hard copy on request.
Secretary General
Related documents
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Call for comments on the addition of SIC Noticias to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis, Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2011-58, 31 January 2011
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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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Improving the diversity of third-language television services – A revised approach to assessing requests to add non-Canadian third-language television services to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2004-96, 16 December 2004
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