The CRTC denied an application Friday from Rogers Communications Inc. to distribute the ThinkBright and Well Television channels from a digital signal in Buffalo. The Rogers Communications Partnership (Rogers and Fido Solutions Inc.) had applied to carry a digital multicast of ThinkBright and Well Television in Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Mulitcast (or multiplex) signals enable the transmission of more than one channel on a single transmitter. Launched in October 2004, ThinkBright and Well Television is a multicast service owned and operated by Western New York Public Broadcasting (WNED) and is available through the PBS digital television signal WNED-TV in Buffalo. Rogers had applied to carry this multicast signal and said in its application that the service would provide unique, general interest programming about education, health and public affairs. In broadcasting decision 2003-61, the CRTC said broadcasting distributors must obtain "prior authority" to distribute a foreign, digital, multicast service. Critics of the application said foreign multicast services like ThinkBright could increase audience fragmentation and impact advertising revenues for Canadian channels. The CRTC said in its decision that it does not appear that ThinkBright and Well Television "would provide sufficiently new and innovative programming to the Canadian broadcasting system" because of their similarities to PBS, which is already available in Canada. The CRTC added that it may consider authorizing multicast television services for distribution if it receives applications to carry "innovative programming that would provide consumers with greater viewing choices." The commission laid out criteria in the decision to assess future applications for the distribution of foreign multicast television services.
Source: The Wire Report, 02/18/2011