OTTAWA – Shaw Communications has asked the CRTC to free its pay-per-view service from its geographic shackles.
In its license renewal application for Shaw Pay-Per-View, the company has asked the Commission for an amendment to permit national distribution, but only via satellite companies.
As the Shaw PPV license now stands, it may only distribute its service in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
Viewer’s Choice PPV gets the rest of the country in its license.
Since Bell ExpressVu has its own branded PPV service called Vu! –and the only other licensed DTH company in Canada is Shaw’s own Star Choice, which currently offers Viewer’s Choice pay-per-view – we’re thinking Viewer’s Choice majority owner Astral Media and its PPV company partners (Rogers Broadcasting, CTV), might have something to say on this particular file.
Replies are due July 12th.
