OTTAWA – Satellite radio has another distribution platform, if they want it.
A Commission decision today that will surely be copied by other broadcast distribution undertakings said that Rogers Cable can add satellite radio stations to their cable channel lineups.
Bell ExpressVu recently asked the Commission for permission to add the satellite radio signals to its service offering but were refused, as the CRTC told the DTH company it needed a license amendment, which is what was granted to Rogers today. Cogeco Cable has also submitted a similar request for a license amendment.
There are conditions to the rule, of course:
* Rogers can’t use conventional radio signals – with the exception of those required to be distributed under section 22 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations (the Regulations) – to fulfill the preponderance requirements in the BDU regulations, unless a subscriber is already receiving at least 40 channels of one or more pay audio programming undertakings (MaxTrax and Galaxie); and
* The Canadian-produced channels of the sat rad companies being distributed will be considered Canadian programming services for the purposes of section 6(2) of the Regulations.
Corus Entertainment and CBC (owners of MaxTrax and Galaxie, respectively) opposed the application, as did numerous Canadian cultural organizations.
So what do XM Canada and Sirius Canada think of the decision? They haven’t decided yet, although both supported the Rogers application at the Commission level. "We are still reviewing the decision at this point," Sirius spokesperson Jeff Roman told Cartt.ca. "However, Sirius Canada supports the possibility of taking our content to a variety of new platforms, including cable. In evaluating any opportunity, we would want to ensure that it makes clear business sense."
"XM Canada is always looking to expand the platforms that offer our exceptional content," an XM spokesperson told Cartt.ca.
When asked if there had been any thought put to potential business plans – given that XM and Sirius in the U.S. are distributed by DirecTV and EchoStar as an add-on and not an extra on subscriber bills, the spokesperson said: "The fee type would be up to the BDU and DTH provider."
No launch date for Rogers has been decided.
