OTTAWA – Both Rogers and Shaw Cable have applied to the CRTC again to alter the rules surrounding local ad avail time on U.S. cable channels.
Currently, American channels such as CNN, A&E, The Golf Channel and others make two minutes an hour available for cable companies to sell local availability time. In the U.S., it’s a multi-billion-dollar sales industry.
In Canada, MSOs are not allowed to sell the time by the CRTC. They must give 75% of the time to Canadian specialty channels (who have to also pay MSO costs) and to use the remaining 25% to promote its own video services only.
Rogers and Shaw have asked the Commission to change the rules so that both companies can promote their Internet and local telephony services, as well as their video products.
The cable industry has asked for changes to local avail rules on several occasions. Most recently, it was rebuffed by the Commission just this summer when it asked for the ability to sell the ad time, as is done Stateside.
Intervenors have until December 21st to respond this time.
