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CRTC Reviewing Proposed HD OTA Network for Canada

28K views 129 replies 44 participants last post by  hugh 
#1 ·
#109 ·
A few reasons...
  • The American broadcasters started out lower-power at first, and eventually ramped up to higher power. We started later in Canada, so we're still at the early stages.
  • Because the Americans came first, they claimed the remaining clear channels that you could broadcast full-power on, without interfering with another channel. With most broacasters using 2 channels now (old analogue and new digital) there simply aren't any more clear channels in the GTA or most of southern Ontario. Hopefully, things will improve when US analog atations shut down Feb 17, 2009
 
#111 ·
Yes, but "full power" has to be taken in context. Most of the Buffalo stations transmit from the Grand Island "antenna farm" out in the boonies where nobody lives. You do NOT want, or need, to crank out a megawatt from a downtown site like the CN tower, let alone having several channels at a megawatt each. It would probably fry the ATSC tuners of any TV sets south of the 401, and freak out cellphones, too. Actually, CITY TV, at 1200 watts (no, I did NOT drop any zeros) comes bombing in OK here at Dufferin+Steeles, for those of you familiar with Toronto.

Also, in many cases, it's the terrain, not the transmitter power, that determines effective range. UHF TV is sorta line-of-sight, with a bit of fudge factor.

If you put up a 1000-foot tower atop the old city dump in Winnipeg (assuming that it wouldn't interfere with the airport flight paths), you could cover a significant chunk of southern Manitoba with one station.

In the case of the GTA (Greater Toronto Area), there's a ridgeline running approximately east/west meandering between Highway 7 and Major Mackenzie Drive. Regardless of whether CITY transmits from the CN tower at 1.2 kilowatts, or 1.2 megawatts, they're not going to be received north of the ridgeline, Period, End of story.

When you get into hilly areas like Greater Vancouver (think Burnaby), the terrain is even more of a factor. A megawatt is not going to bore its way through a hillside.

In the case of Toronto, especially from the top of the CN tower, anything more than 15 kilowatts is overkill. Besides which, with the exception of CBC, most of the programming on Toronto's English language stations is American programming with Canadian commercials. Not like there's any potential audience for that in Buffalo.
 
#114 ·
Reply of HDTV to some of the comment:
http://support.crtc.gc.ca/applicant/docs.aspx?pn_ph_no=2007-17&call_id=62621&lang=E&defaultName=LaRochelle_Michael&replyonly=&addtInfo=&addtCmmt=&fnlSub=

49. We would note that HDTV Networks does not plan on launching its service until after the 17 February 2009 shutdown date for analog transmitters in the U.S.A. Therefore we assume that most Canadian BDUs will have ample distribution capacity following that date, as they will no longer be distributing analog conventional television signals from the U.S.A. That should allow them to accommodate the dual distribution of signals of HDTV Networks for the interim period, until digital conversion takes place in Canada in August 2011. Further, the BDUs find themselves quite consistently applying to the Commission for carriage of various US cable networks (such as USA Network) and thus would seem to have ample capacity for extra services.
And by the the hearing is tomorrow...
OTTAWA-GATINEAU — On 12 February, 2008, the Commission will hold a public
hearing in Gatineau, Quebec, to consider two applications for a licence to
operate a high definition (HD) over-the-air (OTA) television service.

For more information or to listen to the hearing through live audio feed,
please visit our website at the following address,
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/broadcast.htm#NPH200717
 
#115 ·
Wait a second!

Maybe I am interpreting this wrong but from the above quote the CRTC seems to be assuming that starting in Feb. 2009 that US broadcast networks such as ABC,CBS, NBC, Fox and PBS will no longer be carried on Canadian analog cable tiers.

I don't understand the relationship between shutting down analog OTA and distributing US OTA networks on analog cable - after all they will still be available on analog cable in the US for years to come.

Or am I interpreting this all wrong?
 
#116 ·
Wayne, it is HDTV Networks claiming that there will not be analog U.S. nets on cable after 2009 (not the CRTC). The reason they are saying this is to bolster their argument that there will be room for HDTV Networks in SD format. In the few CRTC submissions I have read, the presenters will use the most twisted logic to support their positions and ignore the facts that don't.

The possible upside is that the BDUs may respond that they will carry analog cable and digital SD TV after the official conversion dates. So far this seems to be a grey area in Canada. In the U.S. the FCC has mandated that cable must carry the local networks in analog until at least 2012.
 
#117 ·
Bitove maps out plan for Canada-wide HDTV

Bitove maps out plan for Canada-wide HDTV
In just over a year, Canada could have the first TV network that broadcasts over the air exclusively in high definition and free of charge to viewers, Toronto businessman Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission hearing on the application by his HDTV Network Inc. yesterday. Bitove said in an interview the network would cost about $800 million to run over the seven-year life of a first license. The Canadian Association of Broadcasters that represents private broadcasters opposed the application.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
 
#124 · (Edited)
You would not say the same thing if they had given us HD-Net Movies , this is a great sister channel to HD-Net with tons of amazing movies in HD with no ads or editing. The CRTC always has a way of giving us a little and holding back the best. This will never change. I do love NASA on HD-Net what a show when the shuttle goes up!
 
#121 ·
Looking at some of the interventions, my impression is that the original application will not be approved. The current OTA broadcasters are hammering him for how little content HDTV Networks Inc. will produce themselves. Indeed, Bitove has replied to those comments by promising to revise his plans, and produce more content. I see one of 2 possibilities...
  • The CRTC rejects the application outright, or
  • The CRTC approves the application but, as a condition of the licence, significantly boosts the number of hours per week of original content the network has to produce
 
#125 ·
Indeed, Bitove has replied to those comments by promising to revise his plans, and produce more content.
And it's local content at that. The Globe and mail has more detail at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080213.wrbitove0213/BNStory/Technology/home
Altering his proposal, Mr. Bitove said the network would carry two hours of local programming a week at each of its stations. While that could ease some of the regulator's concerns as it considers whether to allow a new network after a wave of industry consolidation, rival broadcasters said it is not enough.
CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein acknowledged this week that Mr. Bitove's proposal could require a new category of licence unless the application was changed to include local programming.
 
#122 ·
Should this be approved, would this be another national commercial network similar to Global or CTV?

I kind of hope for our sake that it does get approved, because we need another network. Not only would it produce original programming, but instead of certain programms airing on secondary networks and systems like A-Channel or E!, certain shows can get more exposure.
 
#123 ·
Does the CRTC still telecast their hearings? I checked all the channels on Vancouver Shaw Cable and couldn't find anything! Several years ago I used to watch the parade of smooth talking TV representatives outlining their network's proposals for a TV licence etc. and their promises of tons of original Canadian programming if only they would be granted the coveted licence! Yeah, right!
 
#126 ·
Not all hearings are televised as was the case with these hearings. But when they are, you can follow them on-line at http://www.cpac.ca . You even have the floor mic option if you're bilingual and can't stand the lousy translations.

Even when they're not televised, you can still listen to the audio feeds from the CRTC's Web site, but you don't have the floor mic option. But you still get to listen to what is sometimes the most BORING public proceedings I've ever heard in my entire life!

If I ever end up participating in a CRTC hearing, I promise to liven things up a bit. I'll even show up in a costume if I have to! :D
 
#127 ·
Thanks for the info, Francois! I agree they can be pretty boring. I recall the network, individual station, and cable/satellite reps all had similar lines of patter. They were very well-dressed, overly polite, and all promised to do great things if they were permitted, by the CRTC, to obtain what they wanted. We all know how that usually turns out!
 
#130 ·
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