ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-269

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Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-269

Ottawa, 4 September 2002

MediaNet Canada Ltd.
(formerly Peethambaran Koneswaran, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated)
Across Canada

Application 2001-0844-0
Public Hearing in the National Capital Region
14 January 2002

NewsInternational - Category 2 specialty service

In this decision, the Commission approves an application to operate a new Category 2 specialty television service.

1.

The Commission received an application by Peethambaran Koneswaran, OBCI, now incoporated as MediaNet Canada Ltd., for a broadcasting licence to operate an ethnic Category 21 specialty television service to be known as NewsInternational.

2.

The applicant proposed a national ethnic television service consisting of news and information programming directed towards Tamil Canadians.

3.

The Commission did not receive any intervention in connection with this application.

4.

Based on its examination of this application, the Commission is satisfied that it is in conformity with all applicable terms and conditions announced in Introductory statement - Licensing of new digital pay and specialty services - Corrected Appendix 2, Public Notice CRTC 2000-171-1, 6 March 2001 (Public Notice 2000-171-1). Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by Peethambaran Koneswaran, OBCI, now called MediaNet Canada Ltd., for a licence to operate the NewsInternational programming service.

Conditions of licence

5.

The licence will expire 31 August 2009, and will be subject to the conditions set out in Public Notice 2000-171-1 as well as to the following conditions:

a) The licensee shall provide a national ethnic category 2 specialty television service consisting of news and information programming.
b) The programming must be drawn exclusively from the following categories, as set out in Schedule I to the Specialty Services Regulations, 1990: 1, 2a, 3, 6a, 6b and 13.
c) Not less than 90% of all programming broadcast during each broadcast week shall be in the Tamil language, and directed towards Tamil Canadians.
d) Not more than 10% of the programming broadcast during each broadcast week shall be in the English language. This programming shall not include live coverage of professional or amateur sports. All English-language programming shall be directed towards the Canadian Tamil community.

For the purpose of the conditions of this licence, broadcast day refers to the 24-hour period beginning at 6 a.m. each day.

Issuance of the licence

6.

A licence will be issued once the licensee has satisfied the Commission, with supporting documentation, that the following requirements have been met:

  • the licensee has entered into a distribution agreement with at least one licensed distributor; and
  • the licensee has informed the Commission in writing that it is prepared to commence operations. The undertaking must be operational at the earliest possible date and in any event no later than 36 months from the date of this decision, unless a request for an extension of time is approved by the Commission before 4 September 2005. In order to ensure that such a request is processed in a timely manner, it should be submitted at least 60 days before this date.

Secretary General

This decision is to be appended to the licence. It is available in alternative format upon request, and may also be examined at the following Internet site: www.crtc.gc.ca

1 The Category 2 services are defined in Introductory statement - Licensing of new digital pay and specialty services, Public Notice 2000-171, 14 December 2000.

Date Modified: 2002-09-04

Date modified: