Yet Another Group Opposes Canadian Satellite Licenses
Aug. 03, 2005
By Ken Tucker
Billboard Radio Monitor
http://billboardradiomonitor.com/radiomonitor/news/business/digital/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001008253
The gnashing of teeth in Canada continues as a group representing several
Quebec arts and cultural organizations has submitted a formal complaint
over the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's
(CRTC) decision in June to allow satellite radio into the country.
The complaint asks that the CRTC's ruling which allowed bids by three
prospective satellite-radio broadcasters to proceed be overturned.
The group says that the decision violates Canadian broadcasting policy and
that the CRTC should be forced to hold public hearings on satellite radio,
according to a story published on a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Web site.
According to a press release, the coalition believes "the CRTC has made a
grave error in judgment that threatens the foundations of the broadcasting
system in Canada the very system that the CRTC should be protecting."
The CRTC awarded satellite radio licenses to Canadian Satellite Radio,
whose owners include U.S-based XM Satellite Radio, and Sirius Canada, whose
owners include Sirius Satellite Radio, on June 16. Criticism of the
decision began almost immediately with industry groups like the Canadian
Recording Industry Association, and unions like the Alliance of Canadian
Cinema Television and Radio Artists , lining up against the CRTC.
A third license, for a land-based repeater network, was granted to Canadian
broadcasters Chum Ltd. and Astral Media. A spokesman for the coalition says
that they have no quarrel with Chum-Astrals license.
================================
George Antunes, Political Science Dept
University of Houston; Houston, TX 77204
Voice: 713-743-3923 Fax: 713-743-3927
antunes at uh dot edu
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