OTTAWA-HULL - The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is seeking the public's views on a draft policy designed to use digital technology to offer more specialty television channels to cable subscribers across the country. The new policy aims to increase the availability of French-language channels in markets with an English-speaking majority, and conversely, English-language channels where French is spoken by the majority. Consumers will, of course, have the option to receive these new services if they wish to pay for them.

As cable distributors shift to digital technology, channel capacity is growing. With it the potential for providing a broader range of services to subscribers. The Broadcasting Act stipulates, in part, that "a range of broadcasting services in English and French shall be extended to all Canadians as resources become available." Technological progress provides an opportunity to achieve these objectives more effectively.

Today's draft policy forms part of a public process launched last spring. At that time, the Commission gathered comments on the way subscribers could access specialty channels in areas once referred to as "bilingual markets".

After an extensive study of the issue, the CRTC is now presenting a series of proposals. Here are just a few:

• The minimum number of digital specialty channels a cable distributor must carry. For example: for every 10 English-language Canadian or foreign channels, at least one French-language channel would have to be carried (and vice-versa: at least one English-language channel for every 10 French channels).

• The criterion for identifying the markets where these new rules apply would be the proportion or number of subscribers in an English-language market with a knowledge of French (and the reverse in a French-language market). This criterion would more accurately measure potential audiences than the currently used "mother tongue".

• In English-language markets, cable distributors would be banned from cutting the number of French-language channels currently available in analog mode.

• The Commission strongly encourages small cable companies, as well as large distributors using only analog technology, to diversify as much as possible the selection of French and English specialty channels offered to their subscribers.

Anyone interested in submitting comments to the CRTC may do so in writing (in hard copy, on diskette or via E-mail). The deadline for comments is May 10th, 2000.

Reference Documents: CRTC Public Notice CRTC 2000-38 and CRTC Public Notice 1999-74

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Copies of today's documents are available through our Internet site (http://www.crtc.gc.ca) or by contacting the public examination room of any CRTC office. These documents are available in alternative format upon request.

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