The proposed merger of two Saskatchewan non-profit community cable co-operatives is expected to bring digital cable and several new community cable channels to the northern part of the province. The deal, announced February 20, will be voted on by members of Battlefords Community Cablevision Co-operative on March 12, and a day later by members of Regina-based Access Communications Co-operative Limited.

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Broadcasters and distributors are scheduled to meet on March 20 to try to come up with a plan to better manage audio levels on the new digital specialty television channels. The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) is organizing the session in response to complaints from digital subscribers about varying sound levels across digital channel lineups.

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Craig Broadcast Systems Inc. argues that after sifting "through all the hyperbolae", the only real issue relating to a complaint filed against its new youth specialty channel is the logging of music video clips. CHUM Ltd. has complained to the CRTC that Craig has altered its new diginet so much that it is now competitive with MuchMusic in violation of the regulator’s policies (CCR, Feb. 15/02).

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The rollout of video-on-demand (VOD) will give cable an edge over direct-to-home (DTH) satellite TV distributors in the digital universe, says the president and chief executive of Rogers Cable Inc. But Canada’s largest DTH operator says it’s not far behind with its own limited VOD service.

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Private television broadcasters should be able to access subsidies for the production of Canadian programming, but they don’t want to have to air the resulting shows during prime time, their lobby group tells the Parliamentary committee studying the relevance of the Broadcasting Act. In its written submission to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) says no changes are needed to the Act, but proposes five strategic initiatives it feels the government should "implement on a priority basis".

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A coalition of broadcasters and distributors has begun working together to fight piracy of broadcast signals in the country. That coalition will eventually likely be expanded to include producers, according to Chris Frank, Bell ExpressVu LP’s VP of regulatory and government affairs.

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A recent Canadian survey has found relatively limited interest in digital cable in analog cable households at this time, even with high awareness of the launch of new digital specialty television channels last fall. The findings suggest cable operators must do more to promote the features of digital cable to upgrade analog subscribers to the premium service.

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