ARCHIVED -  Decision CRTC 98-474

Decision

Ottawa, 30 September 1998

Decision CRTC 98-474

Rogers Cablesystems Limited

Rogers Cablesystems Ontario LimitedSouthmount Cable LimitedAGI Cablevision Inc.Nor-Del Cablevision LimitedCogeco Cable Systems Inc.Aurora Cable TV LimitedFirst Nations Cable Inc.Mountain Cablevision LimitedHalton Cable Systems Inc.Western Co-Axial LimitedShaw Cablesystems Ltd.A number of communities in Ontario as listed in the appendices to this decision

Licence amendments

1.  Following Public Notice CRTC 1998-88 dated 14 August 1998, the Commission approves the applications by the licensees of the Class 1 and 2 cable distribution undertakings listed in Appendix A to this decision, to be relieved, by condition of licence, of the requirement of section 17(2) of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations (the regulations) to distribute the new television station licensed to Crossroads Television System (Crossroads) on the basic band.

2.  The Commission also approves the applications by the licensees of the Class 3 cable distribution undertakings listed in Appendix B to this decision, to be relieved, by condition of licence, of the requirement of section 32(2) of the regulations to distribute the signal of Crossroads on the basic band.

3.  The Commission granted a licence to operate a television station devoted to religious programming to Crossroads in Decision CRTC 98-123. The new station is an over-the-air broadcaster and therefore entitled, under the provisions of the regulations, to carriage on the basic band (channels 2-13) of local cable companies. However, in the interests of reducing channel placement disruptions for cable subscribers, Crossroads stated that it would waive its right to basic band carriage, provided that cable distributors placed the Crossroads service on a cable channel no higher than 36.

4.  The applications herein approved allow each of the cable undertakings to place the new Crossroads service on the affected systems at positions higher than channel 13. All of the applicants have advised that the Crossroads service will be distributed on a cable channel that is no higher than channel 36.

5.  The Commission acknowledges the supporting intervention received with respect to these applications.

6.  Pelmorex Communications Inc. (Pelmorex), licensee of The Weather Network and MétéoMédia, and Specialty and Premium Television Association (SPTV) filed interventions requesting that the Commission approve the applications only on the condition that no licensed Canadian programming services be displaced or realigned from their actual channel in order to accommodate Crossroads.

7.  SPTV argued that these Canadian services are entitled to protection from channel realignments similar to that which Rogers Cablesystems Limited (Rogers) is extending to its community channels.

8.  In reply to the interventions, Rogers stated that its practice is to resolve channel placement issues directly with the programming services. Rogers also stated that in establishing channel realignments, it takes into account regulatory requirements, its own marketing plans and the viewing preferences of its subscribers. It argued that it must be afforded the flexibility to manage channel line-ups so as to most effectively balance the interrests of subscribers and programming undertakings. Rogers also indicated that it offers support to affected programming services through the airing of notices on the TV Program Guide and its community channels, as well as through the mailing of channel stickers to its subscribers to support the transition to new channel positions.

9.  The Commission position on disputes involving channel placement can be found in Public Notice CRTC 1996-60 entitled Access Rules for Broadcasting Distribution Undertakings. In the public notice, the Commission concluded that channel placement issues should "properly be the subject to negotiation between the parties concerned" and that, generally, it would not be prepared to apply its dispute resolution powers in matters that are essentially commercial in nature.

10.  In Public Notice CRTC 1998-79 dated 30 July 1998, the Commission announced that it would postpone its consideration of applications for new English-language pay and specialty television services until following completion of a separate process to examine what licensing framework could be established for such services. The Commission expects to address issues such as those raised in the interventions by Pelmorex and SPTV during the licensing framework proceeding.

This decision is to be appended to each licence.

Laura M. Talbot-Allan
Secretary General

This document is available in alternative format upon request.

APPENDIX A TO DECISION CRTC 98-474

Licensee/ Location/ Application No./
Titulaire Endroit ` No de demande

Rogers Cablesystems Limited Part of/Secteur de Toronto
(Mississauga-Peel) 199803797
Part of/Secteur de Toronto
(York) 199803805
Part of/Secteur de Toronto
(Downsview) 199803812
Oshawa, Pine Ridge,
Bowmanville, Whitby and/et
Hampton 199804779
Newmarket, Bradford, Holland
Landing, etc. 199804795
Kitchener, Stratford, Brantford,
Paris, St. Mary's 199803820
Tillsonburg 199804803
Woodstock, Beachville and/et
Ingersoll 199804810

Rogers Cablesystems Ontario Limited Part of/Secteur de
Toronto (Etobicoke/Mississauga) 199803838
Ajax 199804787
Guelph 199803846

Southmount Cable Limited Part of/Secteur de Hamilton
and part of the township of/
et un secteur du comté de
Glanbrook 199804407

AGI Cablevision Inc. Simcoe 199805115

Nor-Del Cablevision Limited Norwich, Otterville
and/et Delhi 199805214

Cogeco Cable Systems Inc. Burlington/Oakville 199805389
Part of/Secteur de Hamilton 199805511
Hamilton/Stoney Creek 199805397
Niagara Falls 199805504
St. Catharines 199805405

Aurora Cable TV Limited Aurora 199805420

Mountain Cablevision Limited Parts of/Secteurs de Hamilton
and surrounding area/et la
région avoisinante 199805941

Halton Cable Systems Inc. Georgetown, Acton and/et Milton 199805529

Western Co-Axial Limited Part of/Secteur de Hamilton and/et
part of/secteur de Stoney Creek and
the surrounding area/et la région
avoisinante 199805561
Part of/Secteur de Hamilton, Ancaster,
Dundas and/et Flamborough 199805579
Grimsby, Beamsville, Jordan and/et
Vineland 199805587
Fergus, Elora and/et Salem 199805595

Shaw Cablesystems Ltd. Part of/Secteur de Richmond Hill,
King City, King Township/canton de
King, Markham, Vaughan and/et
Whitchurch-Stouffville 199805850
Bolton and surrounding area/et la
région avoisinante 199805868
Orangeville and surrounding area/et la
région avoisinante 199805876
Part of the Township of/Secteur du
canton de Pickering, Part of/secteur
de Scarborough, Brougham, Greenwood
and/et Claremont 199805884
Part of Metro Toronto/Secteur du
Toronto métropolitain 199805892
CFB Borden and surrounding
area/BFC Borden et la région
avoisinante 199805900

APPENDIX B TO DECISION CRTC 98-474

Licensee/ Location/ Application No./
Titulaire Endroit No de demande

Nor-Del Cablevision Limited Nanticoke, Port Dover,
Waterford and/et Jarvis 199805222

First Nations Cable Inc. Six Nations and New Credit
Reserves/Réserves des Six
Nations et de New Credit 199805438

Halton Cable Systems Inc. Rockwood 199805603

Shaw Cablesystems Ltd. Erin, Hillsburgh, Caledon Village,
Caledon East, Terra Cotta,
Cheltenham, Inglewood, Acton,
Mono Mills, Belfountain, Boston
Mills and/et Ferndale and surrounding
areas/et les régions avoisinantes 199805917