On February 1, Shaw Communications Inc. applied to the CRTC for carriage of USA Network, the most popular cable network in the United States, on both its cable and DTH BDUs. The American service is the most-watched on basic cable south of the border, with a subscriber base of 90 million homes. "USA Network would be a wonderful additional to our programming lineup," said Shaw Communications president Peter Bissonnette in a release. "The potential to bring unique and innovative services such as USA Network to Canadians is an exciting opportunity for our customers." USA Network – which airs original series such as Monk, The 4400, Psych and The Dead Zone as well as theatrical films and off-network programming – is owned by NBC Universal’s cable division.

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