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Broadcasting
Public Notice CRTC 2006-103
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Ottawa, 18
August 2006 |
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Call for
comments on the proposed addition of Planète Thalassa to the lists of
eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis
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Streamlined approach
to assessing competitiveness – Increased reliance on comments received
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In this notice, the Commission calls for
comments on a request to add Planète Thalassa to the digital lists.
The Commission also announces that, commencing with this proceeding,
it will rely primarily on comments filed to identify the Canadian
pay and specialty services with which a sponsored non-Canadian service
might compete, and which should therefore be included in its assessment
of the competitiveness of the non-Canadian service. |
1. |
The Commission has received a request dated
29 May 2006 from Videotron Ltd. (Videotron) for the addition of Planète
Thalassa, a non-Canadian service, to the lists of eligible satellite
services for distribution on a digital basis (the digital lists).
Videotron described the services as follows: [translation] |
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Planète Thalassa is a non-Canadian service from France, entirely
in the French language. This channel offers seven days a week of
programming dedicated to the marine world, including magazine
programs and documentaries. No programs are subtitled.
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2. |
The Commission’s approach to requests for
the addition of non-Canadian English- and French-language services
to the digital lists was set out initially in Call for proposals to
amend the lists of eligible satellite services through the inclusion
of additional non-Canadian services eligible for distribution on a
digital basis only, Public Notice CRTC 2000-173,
14 December 2000 (Public Notice 2000-173).
In Public Notice 2000-173,
the Commission indicated that it would assess such requests in the
context of its general policy which, among other things, precludes
the addition of a non-Canadian satellite service that can be considered
either totally or partially competitive with Canadian specialty or
pay television services. In applying this policy, the Commission stated
that it would take into account all specialty and pay television programming
services whose licence applications had been approved by the Commission,
including all of the launched and unlaunched Category 1 and Category
2 specialty and pay television services. |
3. |
Public Notice 2000-173
also set out specific information that the Canadian sponsors must
file in support of their requests. |
4. |
Commencing with this proceeding, the
Commission will rely primarily on the comments filed to identify the
Canadian pay and specialty services with which non-Canadian services,
such as Planète Thalassa, might compete, and which therefore should be
included in its assessment of the competitiveness of the service.
Parties commenting in this proceeding, and who are of the view that
Planète Thalassa would be competitive, should therefore name the
specific Canadian pay or specialty services with which they consider
Planète Thalassa would compete, and provide details, such as a
programming comparison, to support their views. |
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Call for comments
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5. |
The Commission calls for comments on
Videotron’s request for the addition of Planète Thalassa to the digital
lists. Parties submitting comments on the request should also submit a
true copy of their comments to the Canadian sponsor, Videotron, at the
following address: |
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Quebecor Media Inc.
Regulatory Affairs
465 McGill Street
5th floor
Montréal, Quebec
H2Y 4A6
Fax: 514-380-4664
E-Mail: regaffairs@quebecor.com
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6. |
Proof that comments have been sent to
Videotron must accompany the original version of the comments sent to
the Commission. |
7. |
Comments on Videotron’s request must be
received by the Commission no later than 21 September 2006. A
copy of the comments must be received by Videotron no later than the
deadline for receipt of comments by the Commission. |
8. |
Videotron may file a written reply to any
comments received concerning its request. This reply should be filed
with the Commission, and a copy sent to the person who submitted the
comments, by no later than 6 October 2006. |
9. |
The Commission will not formally
acknowledge comments. It will, however, fully consider all comments and
they will form part of the public record of the proceeding, provided
that the procedures for filing set out below have been followed. |
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Procedures for filing
comments
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10. |
Interested parties can file their comments
to the Secretary General of the Commission: |
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- by using the
Broadcasting Intervention/Comments Form
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OR
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- by mail to
CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
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OR
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11. |
Submissions longer than five pages should
include a summary. |
12. |
Please number each paragraph of your
submission. In addition, please enter the line ***End of document***
following the last paragraph. This will help the Commission verify that
the document has not been damaged during transmission. |
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Important notice |
13. |
Note that all information that you provide
as part of this public process, except information granted
confidentiality, whether sent by postal mail, facsimile, e-mail or
through the Commission’s web site at www.crtc.gc.ca, becomes part of a
publicly accessible file and will be posted on the Commission’s web
site. This information includes your personal information, such as your
full name, e-mail address, postal/street address, telephone and
facsimile number(s), and any other personal information you provide.
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14. |
Documents received electronically or
otherwise will be put on the Commission’s web site in their entirety
exactly as you send them, including any personal information contained
therein, in the official language and format in which they are received.
Documents not received electronically will be available in PDF format.
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15. |
The personal information you provide will
be used and may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information
was obtained or compiled by the Commission, or for a use consistent with
that purpose. |
16. |
The Commission encourages interested
parties to monitor the public examination file and the Commission’s web
site for additional information that they may find useful when preparing
their comments. |
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Examination of public
comments and related documents at the following Commission offices
during normal business hours
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Toll-free telephone: 1-877-249-2782
Toll-free TDD: 1-877-909-2782 |
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Central Building
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
1 Promenade du Portage, Room 206
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 0N2
Tel: 819-997-2429
Fax: 819-994-0218 |
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Metropolitan Place
99 Wyse Road
Suite 1410
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3A 4S5
Tel: 902-426-7997
Fax: 902-426-2721
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205 Viger Avenue West
Suite 504
Montréal, Quebec H2Z 1G2
Tel: 514-283-6607
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55 St. Clair Avenue East
Suite 624
Toronto, Ontario M4T 1M2
Tel: 416-952-9096 |
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Kensington Building
275 Portage Avenue
Suite 1810
Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B3
Tel: 204-983-6306
TDD: 204-983-8274
Fax: 204-983-6317 |
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Cornwall Professional Building
2125 - 11th Avenue
Room 103
Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3X3
Tel: 306-780-3422 |
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10405 Jasper Avenue
Suite 520
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3N4
Tel: 780-495-3224 |
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530-580 Hornby Street
Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3B6
Tel: 604-666-2111
TDD: 604-666-0778
Fax: 604-666-8322 |
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Secretary General |
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This document is available in alternative
format upon request, and may also be examined in PDF
format or in HTML at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca
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