Canadian satellite radio
and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) began hearings in 2004 for applicants ready to develop Canada's first satellite radio broadcasting. The Canadian satellite radio industry received quite a lot of interest and in the end three main applications were filed: XM filed one in partnership with Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius filed an application with Standard Broadcasting and the CBC. The third application belongs to CHUM Limited and Astral Media and to many came as a surprise. That was mostly because CHUM Limited and Astral Media came up with a different solution that that proposed by Sirius and XM Radio. CHUM applied for a subscription radio service that is to be delivered through the already existing terrestrial DAB transmitters. In other words, the transmitters would be the ones receiving the satellite transmission, from where they would continue the broadcast to consumer owned receivers. While the CHUM Limited and Astral Media proposal offers an entirely Canadian approach, the first two bring in a blend of US based technology and Canadian broadcasting channels. XM Radio and Sirius had a slight advantage in the fact that the coverage area of their satellites already existed in parts of Canada, so a small audience was already using their services.
Three satellite radio services for Canada
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved all three applications in June 2005, but with a series of conditions imposed to the three solicitants. Here they are as required by the CRTC:
• A minimum of 8 channels must be produced in Canada and for each Canadian channel 9 foreign channels can be broadcast.
• At least 85% of the content on the Canadian-produced channels (whether musical or spoken word) must be Canadian.
• At least 25% of the Canadian channels must be French-language stations.
• At least 25% of the music aired on the Canadian channels must be new Canadian music.
• At least 25% of the music played on the Canadian channels must be from up-and-coming Canadian
artists.
The three companies had to accept these conditions as they are part of the Canadian broadcasting regulations. The US companies and their Canadian partners began negotiations for tilting the rules in their favor. One of the main offers of both the Sirius and XM Radio partnerships was that they would play 50% French content as opposed to the 25% required by the CRTC. AS a results of the negotiations, XM Radio received 5 channels of National Hockey League Play-by-Play in addition to the channels they already had - XMs part of the deal was to cover the Canadian National Hockey League games. The fact that the US satellite industry giants were both allowed to broadcast on Canadian territory determined CHUM to appeal the decision. They motivated their action by saying that the two US companies would simply "suffocate" CHUM with their presence in Canada, not allowing any room for development for the all-Canadian company. CHUM also complained about the deals that were cut with the two US companies. As a response, Canadian Satellite Radio and Sirius Canada said that CHUM is in fact trying to obtain monopoly over the Canadian satellite radio market for themselves.
Today's Canadian satellite radio
One of the main complaints of the people of Canada was that the CRTC decision did not require sufficient Canadian content. This made the broadcasters come out with promises of additional French and Canadian content. The Canadian Federal Cabinet accepted the CRTC decision on September 10, 2005. XM satellite radio was launched on the 29th of November 2005 and Sirius was next on December 1. Monthly subscription rates are $12.99 for XM with a one time activation fee of $19.99 and $14.99 for Sirius, without any activation fees. Both companies are expecting rapid increases in the numbers o subscribers, although, in spite of the extra Canadian content they added to their air time, there are still quite a few voices protesting against the potential monopoly the two companies may get to in the near future.
(word count 685)
Terms of Use for this Private Label Article
Possibly Related PLR Articles:
Making Money with Articles: Optimal Article Length
When choosing an article for your website, make sure that it is a length that is optimal for search engine optimization efforts. Articles that are as short as 200 words or as long as 500 words should fit into this category. Even if search engine...read more
Garage floor remodeling
The garage is a very important part of your house. It is not only
the room where you keep your car but it can be used also as a
storeroom. In the garage you keep things that you do not use
everyday or things that you want to dispose of...read more
Coordinating Your Busy Family's Schedule
If you have a busy family that seems to be traveling in different directions constantly, you know how challenging it can be to coordinate everyone's schedules. Between projects and deadlines at the office, meetings with your children's teachers,...read more
Viral Marketing Goes Mobile
Mobile devices, mobile phones and PDA's are one of the last great frontiers of viral advertisement opportunities. However, we have become experts at filtering everything, our air and water, our e-mail and pop-ups, and our mobile devices as well. We...read more
Methods Of Microbrewing
The first thing you'll need to do when brewing is
to sanitize everything that will come in contact
with your unfermented beer. It will take time
for the sanitizer to do its job, so don't rush
things.
Next, you'll need to rinse...read more
Affiliate Tracking Software Review: AffiliateTraction
If you are in need of affiliate tracking software, you are not alone. A large number of business owners depend on affiliate tracking software programs, especially when they are trying to operate a successful affiliate program. When it comes to...read more
Christmas Shopping for Your Husband
You might think that Christmas shopping for your husband would be the easiest part of your Christmas shopping each year. You might mistakenly think this is going to be such an easy chore because you love your husband and know him really well but in...read more
Choosing a Hotel in Paris
How to Choose Paris hotels
When choosing the right hotel you may want to check with your local travel agent or you may even want to go online to check out the site for hotels. However, I like to go for the stars. Stars rate the hotel in Paris....read more
Everything You Need to Know About the Albany International Airport
Are you an Albany, New York resident, especially one that has plans to fly out of the country? Whether you actually live in the Albany area or live in the surrounding areas, there is a good chance that you may need to use the services offered by...read more
21 STEPS TO HOME BUSINESS SUCCESS
Fifty million home-based businesses will be in operation by 1997,
according to Link Resource's National Work-at Home Survey. All
around the country, people who want more control over their lives
are starting home businesses
In New...read more