CRTC allows Corus to close down 44 TV rebroadcasting towers

The CRTC has approved a request from Corus Entertainment Inc. to shutter 44 of its television transmitting towers that serve rural customers. The original application from November said that the “rebroadcasting transmitters generate no incremental revenue, and attract little to no added viewership for Corus,” and argued that eliminating them would affect fewer than 20,000 viewers. The channels “rebroadcast the signals of various stations across the country,” the CRTC said, meaning that shutting them down would leave viewers without over-the air signals for those stations. “In spite of the deletion of these transmitters, Corus argued that the programming offered in the affected markets would continue to be available through broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs), such as to cable and satellite subscribers, on the basic service in most of the affected markets,” the CRTC said. The regulator noted in the decision that one of the reasons Corus’ plan drew opposition was concern over the cost of paying for that basic service, as opposed to free over-the-air signals. It pointed to its rule requiring TV providers to offer a $25 basic TV package. It added that “licences, such as those held by Corus, are authorizations to broadcast, not obligations to do so. In other words, while the Commission has the discretion to refuse to revoke broadcasting licences, even on application from a licensee, it cannot generally direct a licensee to continue to operate its transmitters.” As part of its approval of the closure, the CRTC also directed Corus to spend the $2.36 million it had been given for the conversion of the towers from analog to digital slightly different than Corus had wanted to. It it’s application, Corus asked to redistribute the money to a number of recipients: 38 per cent to the Canadian Media Fund, 23 per cent to “broadcasting and news industry associations,” and 21 per cent to “industry events and related activities,” and the final 18 per cent to “colleges and universities. In its decision the CRTC has directed Corus to give 80 per cent of the money to the Canadian Media Fund and 20 per cent to educational institutions the Ontario Association of Broadcasters and the Western Association of Broadcasters. In its explanation of the approval, the regulator said that any of the programming losses resulting from the closure of the towers would be offset by the fact that TV providers “are generally required to distribute local and regional television stations within their licensed areas, and are authorized to distribute, as part of their basic service, non-local Canadian stations where fewer than 10 local or regional stations are available over the air.”

CRTC allows Corus to close down 44 TV rebroadcasting towers

Brief | June 13, 2019

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CRTC allows Corus to close down 44 TV rebroadcasting towers

Brief | June 13, 2019

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