OTTAWA – The CRTC told Bell ExpressVu today that it can’t add XM Radio Canada or Sirius Canada to its entertainment lineup without first getting a license amendment.
Specifically, "the Commission finds that satellite subscription radio (SSR) undertakings are not programming undertakings and that the licensees of direct-to-home broadcasting distribution undertakings, in the absence of a specific condition of licence allowing such distribution, do not have authority under section 39 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations to distribute the programming of SSR undertakings," says the decision.
Mainly, XM and Sirius aren’t like Galaxie or MaxTrax, is what it means.
The CBC, part owner of Sirius Canada (and full owner of Galaxie), objected to Bell ExpressVu or Star Choice carrying the sat rad programming.
ExpressVu argued that XM and Sirius are available all over Canada via one kind of satellite and it made sense to be able to include it in the DTH company’s lineup, too. Stateside, DirecTV carries XM and EchoStar offers Sirius.
Now, ExpressVu will likely wait on a ruling from the CRTC on a Rogers Cable request for just such a license amendment permitting it to distribute sat rad programming.
A decision on the Rogers request is supposed to come this fall, as Cartt.ca reported on Tuesday.
