Carriage Fees and Distant Signals

CTVglobemedia and CanWest jointly submitted a formal proposal saying:

• all cable and satellite providers should pay local broadcasters for the distribution of over-the-air signals
   
• compensation should be linked to the provision of local programming
   
• if cable companies want to provide out-of-market local TV stations to subscribers (allowing them to time-shift), they would need to get permission from the original broadcaster
   
• in markets where direct-to-home penetration is 30%, carriers should have to provide local subscribers with their local TV stations (Tech Media Reports, 01/25/2008).

The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) also supports imposing fee-for-carriage for conventional broadcasters if the funds are used to create original Canadian drama (Mediacaster, 02/25/2008).

Conventional broadcasters pushed for carriage fees during CRTC's 2006 review of over-the-air regulations, but their request was denied when the commission ruled in the spring of 2007 (Tech Media Reports, 01/25/2008).

Bell Canada, Rogers, and Telus, meanwhile, filed a submission with the CRTC against a new fee-for-carriage system (CARTT, 01/29/2008).