GATINEAU – Now the really hard part begins for Robert Lantos: Convincing Canadian BDUs their customers will pay for an (almost) all-Canadian movie channel.
On Wednesday, the CRTC approved a Category B specialty channel license for Lantos’ Starlight, “a national, English-language specialty Category B service that would be devoted to Canadian movies, in particular, feature films and documentaries intended for theatrical release. It would include Canadian feature films, Canadian feature documentaries, Canadian made-for-TV movies, and programs with or about Canadian creators. All feature films intended for theatrical distribution would be presented without commercial interruption,” reads the decision.
Readers will likely recall Starlight’s first go-around with the Commission when, to much fanfare, it asked for must-carry status, only to be denied a year ago. Its backers then re-applied for a category B license.
The new channel is not allowed to compete with existing category A channels and so it must make sure it does not offer more than 25% of the programming broadcast each broadcast month from program category 7(e) animated television programs and films; it must make sure not more than 10% of the programming broadcast each broadcast month is drawn from program categories 8(b) music video clips and 8(c) music video programs combined; and during each broadcast month, not less than 85% of the entire programming broadcast, and not less than 85% of the programming broadcast during the evening broadcast period, shall be devoted to the broadcast of Canadian programs.
We hope it works and that BDUs carry the channel – and that the content is made available online on all devices, too.
