The CRTC said Friday it is going back on a decision to award Calgary company Canyon TV Inc. a broadcasting licence because its owner, Warren Walsh, does not appear to be Canadian. In regulatory decisions in 2009 and 2010, the CRTC issued broadcasting licences to Canyon TV to operate a music specialty channel and a pay-per-view entertainment channel. The commission rescinded those licences Friday, saying that Walsh subsequently submitted information to commission indicating that he is not Canadian. "The Commission notes that, pursuant to the [regulations], it is not authorized to issue a broadcasting licence to a non-Canadian," the CRTC said Friday. "The Commission notes that Canyon.TV may reapply for a broadcasting licence when it can establish that it is Canadian-owned and controlled." The company appeared to be gearing up for a launch. Its Twitter account, under the name @canyontv, tweeted in October 2009 that, "Canyon TV broadcasting license has been approved by the CRTC. The launch details will be posted shortly." Walsh filed a lawsuit in a Calgary court earlier this year, arguing that broadcasting distributors should have an obligation to carry specialty services that receive broadcasting licences.
Source: The Wire Report, 08/13/2010