Rogers, CAB agree on out-of-market signal compensation
Rogers Cable Inc. and the Canadian Association of Broadcasters have reached an interim agreement on compensation for the carriage of a second set of U.S. 4+1 signals and distant Canadian signals as part of the cableco’s digital offering. The CRTC has agreed to suspend deletion requirements in lieu of the agreed upon compensation – Decision 2001-777. An agreement submitted to the commission on Dec. 12, 2001 indicates that Rogers will pay the CAB, 30 days in arrears, an interim monthly fee of $1 for each Rogers subscriber who receives distant Canadian signals as part of the Rogers digital service during the previous month. Rogers also agreed to pay 87 cents for each Rogers subscriber who received the second set of U.S. 4+1 signals. In both cases, the number of Rogers subscribers who received these signals will be calculated by taking the number or digital customers receiving the signals at the beginning of the month and adding it to those getting the services at the end of the month. That number will then be divided into two. The agreement also spells out that Rogers will be notified once a new agreement has been reached between the CAB and DTH distributors on compensation for carriage of these types of signals (see related article on page 6). At that time, Rogers and the CAB may amend their current agreement. Rogers indicated last October that it would add distant Canadian and U.S. networks to its digital packages (CCR, Oct. 26/01).