Super Bowl simsub battle between Bell and CRTC continues over distribution order

By Linda Stuart

TORONTO — Bell Canada and the National Football League are crying foul against the CRTC, claiming the Regulator is trying to push forward with its Super Bowl simultaneous substitution (simsub) ban via a distribution order, before Bell and the National Football League’s appeal of the CRTC’s broadcasting decision makes its way to Federal Court.When the CRTC announced in January 2015 (in Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-25) that Canadian TV distributors would no longer be allowed to perform simsub for the Super Bowl, starting with the February 2017 broadcast of Super Bowl LI, the Commission indicated it would amend the broadcasting...