GATINEAU — Telus today received approval from the CRTC for a broadcasting licence to operate a national on-demand TV channel, which according to Telus’s application proposes to air a variety of general interest content.
Update: The wording of this new licence confused us and others a little bit, but we’ve been informed by Telus this is simply a licence to operate its own pay-per-view service.
Some of the English-language programming indicated in the application includes live and tape-delayed professional and amateur sports, and live and tape-delayed special events including programs of comedy sketches, improvisations, unscripted works, stand-up comedy, music and dance, variety, and general entertainment and human interest. Public service announcements, interstitials and filler programming will possibly air on the channel as well, reads the approval posted to the CRTC web site today.
As a standard condition of licence for on-demand (PPV) services, Telus is expected to allocate 5% of its gross annual revenues to a certified independent production fund of its choice, which in this case is the Telus Fund.
The Commission notes in its decision that it previously approved a licence application from Telus to operate an on-demand TV service back in July 2014. After four years, however, Telus was unable to launch the service, due to “issues relating to negotiating agreements with program suppliers,” according to the Commission. In its current application, Telus indicated the impediments to the service’s launch in the past have since been mitigated and the company intends to launch the service within the prescribed 24-month timeframe.
The Commission has set July 28, 2022 as the deadline for the service to be operational, unless a time extension is granted at a future date. The licence will expire on August 31, 2025.
