Cable / Telecom News

BDU Licence Renewals: Whither local avails?


GATINEAU – It looks as though a portion of a CRTC decision that flew under the radar for many people has wrecked what was an excellent promotional outlet for Canadian specialty services and charities.In decision CRTC 2015-86, part of the Let’s Talk TV process, the Commission surprised the industry by tightening the rules surrounding how the two minutes of local advertising time made available each hour by U.S. channels such as CNN, A&E, Golf Channel and TLC could be used.Dubbed “local avail” time, American cablecos and other pay TV carriers have turned the sales of those two minutes into a...