CRTC Requires DTH Providers To Carry More Local Television Services

In a revision to its regulatory framework for direct-to-home (DTH) satellite distribution undertakings, the CRTC has required DTH providers to carry additional local television stations, although the nature of the obligation varies among providers.

For its part, DTH provider Bell TV will be required to carry a fixed number of additional local televisions stations by August 31, 2012, consistent with the benefits proposal that its parent company, BCE Inc., made in connection with its application to acquire effective control of major private broadcasting ownership group CTV.

In that proceeding, BCE proposed to provide satellite carriage for 43 local television services on its DTH affiliate, Bell TV, in addition to the local television service that it already carries.  The additional channel capacity was to be made available through conversion to MPEG-4 set-top decoder boxes.  In accepting this proposal, the CRTC required that the 43 additional stations be local