GATINEAU – Approvals of new Category 2 ethnic digital TV channels are coming fast and furious, as the CRTC today approved 10 more networks today, having announced 10 new licences yesterday.
The latest to be approved are Hebrew TV, Jamaican TV, Korean TV, Filipino TV, Russian TV, and Chinese TV (all from the Canadian Ethnic Broadcasting Corporation), Channel Punjabi and Music India Television (from Surjit S. Gill, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated), Mehfil TV (from Jaswinder Khosa, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated), and Jyot TV (from Davinder Jhattu, on behalf of a corporation to be incorporated). All would broadcast in third languages except for Jamaican TV, which would be all in English.
Hebrew TV would be a general-interest channel airing no less than 90% of its programs in Hebrew.
Jamaican TV, a general-interest channel serving the Jamaican-Canadian community, would broadcast all programming in English, though a condition of licence is that all non-Canadian programming would originate in Jamaica. CanWest MediaWorks had intervened in the application, requesting that condition for fear the channel would compete with existing English-language analog and digital channels, including its Prime TV analog service.
Korean TV would be a general interest service for the Korean-speaking community, airing no less than 90% of programming in Korean.
Filipino TV would be a general interest service for the Filipino community, airing no less than 90% of programming in the Tagalog language.
Russian TV would be a general interest service for the Russian-speaking community, airing no less than 90% of programming in Russian.
Chinese TV would be a general interest service for the Chinese languages-speaking community, airing no less than 90% of programming in Cantonese and Mandarin, equally split between the two languages. The service would air adult programming late at night, and must adhere to the commission’s industry code on such programming. The channel must also adhere to the linkage rules requiring any Cat 2 service offering more than 40% of their program in any of the Cantonese, Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, Greek, or Hindi languages to only be offered to customers who also subscribe to the analog services operating in the same language. Fairchild Television, which operates Fairchild Television, broadcasting mainly in Cantonese, and Talentvision, airing mainly Mandarin programs, intervened in the Chinese TV application to ensure the linkage rules were a condition of licence. The commission is applying those rules in this case.
Channel Punjabi would be a general interest service airing no less than 80% of its programming in Punjabi, no more than 10% in Hindi, and no more than 10% in English.
Music India Television would target the Punjabi and Hindi-speaking communities, especially people aged 15 to 35. The programming would consist of a variety of different music programming, music news, general interest, and Indian music video clips. The service would air no less than 65% of the programming in Punjabi, no more than 25% in Hindi, and no more than 10% in English.
Mehfil TV is aimed at the Sikh community, with programs related to music, culture, and religion along with discussion of current world events. Half the programs would be in Punjabi, 30% in Hindi, and 20% in English.
Jyot TV would be targettted at the South Asian community, with general interest programs. It would air 70% of its programs in Punjabi, 10% in Hindi, and 20% in English.
All the preceding channels asked for and were granted a request to air up to six minutes per hour of local and regional advertising.
All the licences will expire on Aug. 31, 2013. The services must be launched within 36 months of the decision or they will have to request an extension.
The proposals were submitted under the commission’s new “open-entry” approach to third-language Cat 2s. The CRTC does not consider the impact that a new Cat 2 may have on an existing Cat 2, but does try to ensure that new entrants don’t directly compete with any existing pay or specialty services, including the must-carry Cat 1s.