CRTC reaffirms that Avis must be carried on digital basic in Quebec

OTTAWA – Following a request by the federal government to reconsider a regulatory decision, the CRTC issued Monday a ruling that practically mirrors its first decision. In Broadcasting Decision 2008-12, the CRTC confirmed that Avis de Recherche (ADR), a digital channel devoted to crime prevention, had to be carried on digital basic by all Class 1 and Class 2 cablecos and satellite TV distributors in Quebec at a monthly wholesale rate of 6 cents per subscriber. These are the same terms as the original decision issued in July 2007. Mandatory distribution of the French-language channel comes into effect on January 24, according to the...