Fusca blasts Star Choice
Stornoway Communications president Martha Fusca blasted Shaw Communications Inc.-owned Star Choice and Shaw cable for their refusal to pick up more Category 2 diginets. "Rogers has said it would pick up the channels of anyone who is willing to take the risk (of moving ahead). Bell ExpressVu and Cogeco are also offering a lot of Category 2s. If the others can do it, why can’t Star Choice?" she asks. Stornoway’s dance channel was not picked up by Star Choice, and Fusca wonders if Shaw Communications CEO Jim Shaw is looking for a self-fulfilling prophecy. Earlier this year, Shaw predicted that 50% of the new channels would fail (CCR, June 7/01). Stornoway has a deal with members of the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance (CCSA) members to carry the dance channel, but because the signal is not being sent via Star Choice, they are unable to receive the channel. Some smaller cablecos do not have the technological ability to receive signals from Bell ExpressVu. "Westerners enjoy dance as well," she said. "I just hope that Bell ExpressVu sells its dishes like crazy (and Star Choice loses out)," she added.

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