OTTAWA – Quebecor has received regulatory approval to proceed with its new “hard news and straight talk” Sun TV News channel. It is expected to launch early next year.
Friday’s decision granted the category 2 channel a five year license that will expire on August 31, 2015. As Cartt.ca reported, Quebecor last month dropped its requests that the channel be licensed with must-carry status, after the Commission said that it would not consider must-carry license applications until at least the Fall of 2011, if at all.
"Today marks the dawn of a new era for Canadian news media," said Quebecor Media president and CEO, Pierre Karl Peladeau, in a statement. "Sun News will be a welcome addition to Sun Media Corporation’s English language newspapers and news websites. It will aim to challenge conventional wisdom and offer Canadians a new choice and a new voice on TV."
Sun Media Corporation and TVA Group Inc., both controlled by Quebecor Media, will respectively own 49% and 51% of the partnership’s interest.
