The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is to hold public hearings this autumn into the country's satellite TV and direct-to- home broadcast policies and regulations.
The Commission wants to address matters relating the country's transition to digital TV, local television access and broadcast commercial substitution, all of which have been controversial issues for the broadcast and telecom regulator.
The CRTC currently provides a framework for the DTH distribution of conventional TV stations to subscribers, and the manner in which DTH distribution uses simultaneous commercial substitution.
Two licensed direct-to-home broadcast distribution satellite services currently operate in Canada: Bell TV and Shaw Direct.
Each operates under a licence that allows them to transport broadcasting programming services from where they originate to other broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) - such as cable BDUs - which, in turn, sell these services to their subscribers.
Although their DTH and satellite relay distribution undertakings (SRDU) services are licensed separately, Bell TV and Shaw Direct use the same facilities such as satellites, ground stations and other facilities, to offer both types of services.
This means that choices made or actions taken with respect to one type of service frequently have an impact on the other.
The Commission recently licensed a third DTH service - FreeHD Canada - to provide both DTH and SRDU services, but it says it has not yet received notification that FreeHD's DTH or SRDU services are in operation.
ATV's News 7/22/10
The Commission wants to address matters relating the country's transition to digital TV, local television access and broadcast commercial substitution, all of which have been controversial issues for the broadcast and telecom regulator.
The CRTC currently provides a framework for the DTH distribution of conventional TV stations to subscribers, and the manner in which DTH distribution uses simultaneous commercial substitution.
Two licensed direct-to-home broadcast distribution satellite services currently operate in Canada: Bell TV and Shaw Direct.
Each operates under a licence that allows them to transport broadcasting programming services from where they originate to other broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) - such as cable BDUs - which, in turn, sell these services to their subscribers.
Although their DTH and satellite relay distribution undertakings (SRDU) services are licensed separately, Bell TV and Shaw Direct use the same facilities such as satellites, ground stations and other facilities, to offer both types of services.
This means that choices made or actions taken with respect to one type of service frequently have an impact on the other.
The Commission recently licensed a third DTH service - FreeHD Canada - to provide both DTH and SRDU services, but it says it has not yet received notification that FreeHD's DTH or SRDU services are in operation.
ATV's News 7/22/10
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