Allowing Canadian television stations to charge a fee for their signals could create a trade war with U.S. border stations which would demand similar compensation when cable and satellite carriers redistribute their signals to Canadian homes, Rogers Communications Inc. executives warned the CRTC yesterday, during day one of its group-based licensing hearing.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.

Nearly 20 years after the United States began allowing fee for carriage of local television signals, CTVglobemedia Inc. told regulators today that it’s finally time for the CRTC to follow suit with a made-in-Canada retransmission consent regime that would force broadcast distribution undertakings (BDUs) to drop popular U.S. programs that are simulcast on Canadian channels they reach a deal to compensate local stations for their signals.

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

Take a free trial or subscribe to The Wire Report now.