CBC Granted Approval To Launch CBC SportsPlus In '09
The CBC "has been granted a license to start a sports cable television channel," according to William Houston of the GLOBE & MAIL. CBC Dir of Production Joel Darling said that the digital channel, to be called CBC SportsPlus, "is likely to be launched in the first half of 2009." The license approval by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) "is a big win for the CBC." In addition to "amateur content, the channel will be allowed to air professional sports programming." The channel "will help the CBC compete against CTV-TSN for future Olympic rights." Before the decision was announced yesterday, CTV, Rogers, Score Media and Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment "intervened against the application, arguing genre protection -- that CBC SportsPlus would provide a service already available." But the CRTC "imposed restrictions on the channel, including a 10[%] weekly limit on professional 'stick and ball' sports." The CBC "proposed airing a minimum of 30[%] amateur sport, measured over a year, and no more than 30[%] professional sport, measured over a year." The CRTC "stipulated those percentages needed to be met on a weekly basis." The CBC also has "promised to air 80[%] Canadian content, measured over a year, and also 80[%] Canadian content each day during prime time." CTV President Rick Brace said, "We felt that this service was really a general interest sports service that was disguised as an amateur sports service." Toronto-based Sports & Entertainment LP President & CEO Brian Cooper, who had been assisting the Canadian Olympic Committee in its bid for a license to start an amateur sports channel, said, "Considering the programming that they are suggesting, considering the genre protection rules and the amount of opposition they received, I'm a little surprised" (GLOBE & MAIL, 8/21).
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