OTTAWA -- In a landmark decision, the CRTC has granted a license to Canadian Satellite Communications Inc. to provide for the first time multi-channel television and radio service to northern and remote communities.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission also approved Tuesday a CTV Television Network Ltd. application to provide satellite service on an interim basis until CANCOM becomes operational.
CANCOM, a Yukon-based consortium of five companies, will distribute programming from CHCH-TV in Hamilton, Ont., CHAN-TV and CFMI-FM in Vancouver, CITV-TV and CIRK-FM in Edmonton, CFQM-FM in Moncton, N.B., CITE-FM in Montreal, CKO-FM-2 in Toronto and two native language radio signals.
CRTC chairman John Meisel told reporters the decision was significant because it will result in the final linking of broadcast services to all areas of the country.
'And its important to have a broadcasting system that brings the country together,' Meisel said, adding that he would not comment on the reasons for the commission's acceptance of CANCOM's application.
Meisel said it was important that discussions continue with French-language television companies in order that a French network service could be beamed in as soon as possible to complement the three English-language channels.
'With regard to the longer term, the commission notes the commitment mde by CANCOM to add an Atlantic service as part of its network operation.'
The commission also approved applications from Atlantic Television System Ltd., and the Newfoundland Broadcasting Company, the Inuit Tapirisat, the Council for Yukon Indians and the Dene Nation for licenses to carry television and radio broadcasting to remote areas.
In all cases, broadcasting of those signals will be inaccessable to urban areas, and with respect to CANCOM's delivery of television signals to the north, they will be transmitted in scrambled form and decoded at the earth station receiver.
CANCOM's license will will expire Sept. 30, 1985.
CTV's temporary license will expire when the CANCOM service begins, up to a period ending Sept. 30, 1982.
In CANCOM's application, it stated there was a potential subscriber audience of 200,000 in the North, adding that it would be able to recover its costs over an eight-year period based on a subscriber audience of 150,000.
The company had proposed a subscriber fee maximum of $4 per household which the CRTC accepted.
