OTA Hearing: What if it's not the economy? What if the market has spoken?

GATINEAU – Telus senior vice-president regulatory and government affairs Michael Hennessy asked a question that was a little uncomfortable for the commissioners – and probably the employees at broadcast stations – to hear: To paraphrase, Hennessy asked: What if viewers in the communities of the smaller nets which are in the most dire financial circumstances (E! and A Channels) have simply decided those stations are just not good enough to watch any more? “What we’re looking at is nothing else than a very normal response of the market as designed by audience preference,” said Hennessy. “Perhaps these channels are not...