GATINEAU – The CRTC today called for comments on adding five foreign third language services to the eligible satellite list.
The Commission issued the notice today after receiving requests from the Canadian Cable Telecommunications Association and Rogers to add NTV Bangla, Azteca 13 International, TV Chile, TVE Internacional and Canal de las Estrellas Latinoamérica to the list of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis.
NTV Bangla is a 24-hour general interest service offering a variety of programming including news, current affairs, sports, documentaries, comedies, movies, serial dramas, and children’s entertainment with 98% of its programming in the Bengali language with less than 2% provided in English.
Azteca 13 International is a 24-hour 7 day per week Spanish-language general interest programming service originating from Mexico offering a variety of programming, including drama, movies, sports, music, variety, news and religious.
TV Chile is a 24-hour 7 day per week Spanish-language general interest programming service originating from Chile offering a variety of programming, including drama, movies, sports, music, variety, news and religious.
TVE Internacional is also a 24-hour 7 day per week Spanish-language general interest programming service originating from Spain offering a variety of programming, including movies, sports, music, variety, news, religious, children’s, and comedy.
Canal de las Estrellas Latinoamérica is a 24-hour, 7 day per week, Spanish- language programming service featuring a variety of programming, including sports, special events, news from Mexico, variety shows, telenovelas, feature films, documentaries, comedies, dramas, and entertainment information programs.
TVE, Azteca 13, and TV Chile have been turned down previously – at the same time in 2004 when the CRTC originally denied RAI International’s application for Canadian carriage, to much political and marketplace chagrin. While denying the channels, the CRTC asked for comments and within months, adjusted its policies for third-language channels to allow RAI in, as reported by www.cartt.ca it’s now carried on Rogers, Cogeco and Videotron) and the cable industry would now like to see more ethnic channels added.
