As far as prognostication goes, the Globe and Mail is doing better than, say, the Toronto Star. Jeffrey Simpson used his column on Wednesday to reassure Canadians that, for somewhat arcane reasons, the CRTC would reject the licence application of Sun TV. (Basically, Sun TV wants a class of licence the CRTC is no longer issuing.) Sure enough, word came late yesterday that the CRTC is denying the application in its current form.
[Quebecor asked] for special consideration. Its reasoning, according to the letter, was that Sun TV News would be “an Information & Analysis channel,” and therefore different than its all-news competitors.
The CRTC rebuffed that claim. In the letter, Peter Foster, the director general of television policy and applications, suggested that there was little to distinguish Sun TV from other all-news services, since “news and analysis are sub-categories of the information programming category … news would be broadcast throughout the day … [and] in promotional material, the proposed service is referred to as the Sun TV News Channel.”
“Little to distinguish.” That’s cold, right there.
The brain trust at Sun TV has responded by saying that they don’t intend to change a thing, and that “we’ll get exactly what we’re asking for at the end of the day.” With that kind of brazen douchebaggery on display before they even start broadcasting, we can’t imagine what the actual news will be like. First story on the new network: Is the CRTC a totalitarian menace to all we hold dear? Our hot-tub panel of Sunshine Girls will discuss it right after this word from Axe body spray.
Actually, that we might tune in for that.
• Relax, folks, we won’t be channelling Fox News North [Globe and Mail]
• CRTC refuses Sun TV’s bid for preferred status on dial [Globe and Mail]
• Sun TV news channel must compete for a spot on cable and satellite, CRTC says [Winnipeg Free Press]
• CRTC Decision notice [PDF]
• How bout a Cat 2, Sun TV? [Lobbying Canada]
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