OTTAWA – The CRTC should “dispose of” Asian Television Network (ATN)’s “unsubstantiated claims” that Zee TV has contravened its condition of license, say owners Ethnic Channels Group.
In a response to the CRTC dated September 3, Ethnic Channels Group flatly denies allegations made by ATN last June that Zee TV has breached its nature of service requirement as a Category B niche third-language women's programming service, and is actually operating as a general interest programming service unfairly competing with ATN’s flagship Category A SATV service.
“ATN provided no particular information regarding any of our programming in its complaint”, reads the lengthy reply filed by Ethnic Channels Group. “This is a significant failure on ATN's part. ATN has merely made a single broad allegation regarding the programming on Zee TV Canada to the effect that it is "general interest". ECGL does not know, and it is an open question, on what basis ATN could have concluded that Zee TV Canada is a "general interest" service. ATN has not referred to a single program broadcast on Zee TV Canada and has provided absolutely no facts or analysis with respect to Zee TV Canada's programming to back up ATN's allegation.”
Ethnic Channels Group stressed that Zee TV is marketed to, and of particular interest to, women in Canada's Hindi-speaking community, and that its programming falls only within the categories that it is authorized to offer.
