MONTREAL – Rogers Communications and Videotron ltée each launched a trio of new Hispanic channels last week: TV Chile, Azteca Trece and TVE.
TerraTerra Communications is the channels’ representative in Canada and describe the channels as such:
Azteca 13 International offers family entertainment from soaps to news, documentaries and children’s shows, sports and music/
TV Chile International has the lineup of a traditional broadcaster, featuring news, sports, documentaries, drama and soaps.
TVE International is Spain’s largest general interest channel, featuring programming from genres similar to the ones above.
"The channels are very happy to be available in Canada and it’s a pleasure to see Rogers Cable and Videotron extend their programming," said TerraTerra chairperson Claire Bourgeois.
In 2004-05 the channels were caught up in the policy challenges and changes which came after Italian channel RAI International was denied, and then allowed, access to Canadian BDUs and consumers. The Commission originally denied RAI’s and the Spanish channels’ applications for carriage here on the grounds they would infringe on Telelatino, a Canadian-owned (Corus) Italian-Hispanic channel.
Eventually, policy changed for foreign ethnic channels wishing to be added to the eligible satellite list in Canada.
The Latin American population in Canada is growing quickly, according to Factor Hispano, a Canadian publication for and about the Hispanic community. While the 2001 census counted 213,000 Hispanics in Canada, the magazine suggests the 2006 census will show close to 700,000, making Spanish speaking Canadians the third-largest ethnic minority.
With those numbers, the three channels could end up as part of a Spanish bundle in Toronto, said Rogers Cable’s vice-president and general manager, television, David Purdy. "We’re working on an overall Spanish bundle," he told those gathered for the launch of the channels in Toronto on Thursday, "a Latin American package that would include all of our product lines (cable, Internet, home phone and wireless)."
– Greg O’Brien
