CRTC renews licences of eight specialty, pay channels
The CRTC has renewed the licences of eight specialty channels for a full term until August 2008. In renewing the licence of French-language specialty channel MusiquePlus, the commission rejected a request by the Association québécoise de l’industrie du disque, du spectacle et de la vidéo (ADISQ) to require the channel to increase the amount of broadcast time it devotes to Canadian music video clips. ADISQ wanted a one per cent per year increase over five years. The CRTC decided to maintain the current requirement of 30% for Canadian music video clips and 35% for French-language music video clips. But the CRTC indicated that MusiquePlus had to include all its revenues in calculating the amount it would contribute to VideoFACT, which is responsible for redistributing the financing to Canadian artists wishing to produce music video clips – Decision 2001-729. MovieMax! also had its licence renewed, but with an amendment requiring it to spend more on Canadian programming. It must spend at least 25% of the previous year’s revenues on Canadian programming – Decision 2001-731. Astral Television Networks Inc.’s English-language pay television service, The Movie Network, was also renewed – Decision 2001-732 – as was the licence of CTV Inc.’s Discovery Channel – Decision 2001-733. As well, The Sports Network (TSN) got a full-term licence, but now 55% of the programming it airs during the broadcast day must be Canadian. Previously, its Canadian content level was set at 50%. The commission also agreed to TSN’s proposal to spend more on amateur sports – Decision 2001-734. TSN’s French-language counterpart Le Réseau des sports also got renewed, with an increase in its percentage of Canadian programming from 60% to 65% – Decision 2001-735. Also among the pay television channels getting renewed were Super Ecran – Decision 2001-730, and SuperChannel Ltd. – Decision 2001-736.

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