ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2014-73

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Route reference: Part 1 application posted on 13 November 2013

Ottawa, 19 February 2014

Soundview Entertainment Inc.
Across Canada

Application 2013-1527-6

Addition of Business Plus to the List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution

The Commission approves an application to addBusiness Plusto the List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution (the list). The revised list is available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Broadcasting Sector.”

Introduction

1. The Commission received an application from Soundview Entertainment Inc. (Soundview) to add Business Plus to the List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution (the list). The Commission did not receive any comments regarding this application.

2. Soundview described Business Plus as a 24-hour Urdu-language news channel offering business-oriented news and analysis with a focus on current affairs. Its target audience would be Urdu-speaking Canadians who have an interest in news from a business standpoint, and its programming would be sourced from Pakistan.

3. In Broadcasting Public Notices 2004-96 and 2008-100, the Commission stated that requests to add non-Canadian general interest third-language services to the list would generally be approved, subject to any requirement it deemed appropriate. In Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100, the Commission stated that non-Canadian third-language services that provide narrowly targeted or “niche” programming would be subject to the same approach as non-Canadian general interest third-language services.

4. Moreover, for non-Canadian news services, the Commission considers a more open-entry approach to be consistent with the importance it places on a diversity of editorial points of view. Consequently, in Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100, the Commission stated that absent clear evidence, as determined by the Commission, that a non-Canadian news service will violate Canadian regulations, such as those regarding abusive comment, the Commission will be predisposed to authorize non-Canadian news services for distribution in Canada.

Commission’s analysis and decision

5. In the absence of opposing interventions and any evidence that the service would violate Canadian regulations, the Commission approves the application by Soundview Entertainment Inc. to add Business Plus to the List of non-Canadian programming services authorized for distribution and amends the list accordingly. The list is available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Broadcasting Sector” and may be obtained in hard copy on request.

Secretary General

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