The early success of the new digital specialty TV channels that will launch next week lies in the hands of two companies that together control 75 per cent of existing digital TV subscribers in Canada, according to figures in a new Decima Publishing market research report to be released next week. With three- quarters of the digital subscribers in the country, sales and marketing efforts by Shaw Communications Inc, including its direct-to-home satellite TV unit Star Choice Communications Inc, and Bell ExpressVu LP could make or break the new channels in their first few years of operation.

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