OTTAWA – The CRTC has denied a request by Rogers Broadcasting to amend the broadcasting licence for the Outdoor Life Network (OLN).
Rogers had proposed to add categories to the list of program categories that may be broadcast by the service. Specifically, it asked to increase the percentage of programming that may be broadcast from category 7 drama and comedy from 5% to 25%, to remove requirements that programming drawn from that category be Canadian, and that programming drawn from category 6(a) professional sports not include stick and/or ball sports.
In its decision, the Commission expressed concern that the proposed amendments could result in the programming direction of the network "becoming inconsistent with its current nature of service", and said that its drama request would be best examined at the upcoming group-based licence renewal hearing when it can be considered in the context of its ownership group and other lifestyle specialty services.
The CRTC also said that due to the potential synergies between OLN and Sportsnet, also a Rogers service, OLN should continue be to “explicitly prohibited” from broadcasting such sports to prevent the use of OLN as a second window for Sportsnet.
