Canada's cable wars coming to a head

July 08, 2009 The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has denied a bid by cable giant Rogers Communications to stop airing 100 hours of Canadian movies a year in prime time at its City-TV over-the-air TV stations. "In the current economic climate, it is indecent to increase the burden on consumers," Groupe Videotron CEO Robert Depatie, CEO of Quebec cable operator Groupe Videotron, said as cable operators said they will pass the increased local programming costs onto monthly cable subscribers. The CRTC this week also ordered cable and satellite companies to pay conventional broadcasters a fee to carry their local TV station signals.

Subscribe to the Hollywood Reporter and see the entertainment industry from its best angle: the inside looking out. Complete access to real-time news and exclusive analysis that goes behind the scenes from film to television, home video to digital media.

   Subscribe now.