OTTAWA – The hundreds of communities impacted by the CBC`s move to shut down 623 analog transmitters on July 31, ending free over-the-air access to the CBC and Radio-Canada, have only until October 9th to bid on the transmitters and towers. The towers can be used to distribute not only the CBC or Radio-Canada but also community TV or radio, other distant TV or radio services or even wireless high-speed Internet says Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS).
"The community of Hay River, NWT has already obtained English CBC, Radio-Canada and APTN transmitters," said Catherine Edwards of CACTUS. Gary Hoffman, a volunteer who runs the Hay River TV Society, adds that "We also rebroadcast the Movie Channel, the Family Channel, the History Channel, Global, CTV and Access the Education Station from the top of an apartment tower. It only costs 36 dollars per household per year. Any community can do it."
"If communities miss the October 9th dead-line, there`s one other option for individuals that want to restore free service," said Edwards. "CBC and Radio-Canada channels in HD from five cities across Canada along with the Weather Network, MétéoMédia, APTN, Télé Québec, CityTV and CTV2 are available unscrambled by satellite."
"A fixed dish that costs about $400 can receive almost 20 Canadian services and is easy to install. If you buy a motorized system that can follow different satellites (starting at around $700), you can bring in over 750 channels from around the world, including 250 English and 20 French services,” explains Serge Cormier of Dr. Sat, a satellite dealer from Oakville Ontario.
He adds that the black mesh dishes that you often see in rural communities can also be retrofitted by purchasing a digital HD receiver starting at about $125. “The great thing about these solutions is that once you’ve got the dish, there are no monthly fees."
Communities that want to bid on CBC equipment before the October 9th dead-line should contact Martin Marcotte at: (416) 205-6510 or Martin.Marcotte@cbc.ca.
