TORONTO – Bell Media has asked the CRTC for permission to delete 28 more analog rebroadcasting transmitters by amending the licences of some of its English-language television stations.
The move, says the broadcaster, will improve cost effectiveness at its conventional stations plus coordinates with the digital television transition schedule released by Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED). The Commission already approved the deletion of 40 Bell Media analog retransmitters during the company’s 2016 licence renewal application.
Bell Media said that the analog transmitters generate no incremental revenue, do not offer different programming from the main channels, attract little to no viewership, and are costly to maintain, repair or replace. It also acknowledged the loss of certain regulatory privileges (such as distribution on the basic service and the ability to request simultaneous substitution) that would result from the shutdown of these transmitters.
“With the increased focus on the financing, production and distribution of programming content, signal distribution through a repeater network is becoming an increasingly lower priority and an outmoded business model as Canadians have other ways to access television programming”, added the February 1st letter signed by Bell Media’s senior specialist of regulatory affairs, David Spodek.
According to the Part 1 application posted on the CRTC site Monday, the doomed transmitters include three in Nova Scotia, three in New Brunswick, five in Ontario, four in Manitoba, four in Saskatchewan, six in Alberta and three in British Columbia. Bell Media’s figures estimate that over 1.5 million Canadians live within the contours of the transmitters to be shut down.
“If our application is approved, 25 of the 28 requested shutdowns will not occur until 2021 while the remaining three will occur in May and October 2020,” continues the letter. “These dates correspond with ISED's transition schedule under their DTV Allotment Plan resulting from the joint 600 MHz repurposing initiative with the United States.”
Comments and interventions are due by April 24, 2019.
