RadioShack Canada Applauds Supreme Court Satellite Ruling

[tv_guy]

TORONTO, April 30, 2002 - Brian Levy, CEO InterTAN Inc., parent company of RadioShack Canada and Battery Plus, announced this week his company's strong support of the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling that makes it illegal to subscribe to or illegally decode foreign satellite signals.

"RadioShack Canada welcomes the court's decision and supports it whole-heartedly," said Levy. "Many Canadians think signal piracy is a victimless crime, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The negative impact of these illegal and illegitimate practices ripple through many sectors of the Canadian economy and deprive companies of revenues essential to justify their infrastructure and technology investments in Canada."

RadioShack Canada, one of Canada's leading retailers of satellite and cable television products, has been a strong supporter of industry partners such as StarChoice and Bell ExpressVu in asking for tougher laws against companies that offer illegal installation, service and programming packages.

"While we are very pleased by today's ruling, we don't expect this to be the last word on the issue," said Levy. "We call on the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission and Minister Sheila Copps to clearly lay out in legislation protections for Canada's broadcasters and content providers. Canadian jobs are at stake here."

Beyond the financial impact the illegal satellite market has on Canadian companies, these illegal systems have also drawn revenue away from the Canadian Television Fund. This fund is partially supported by cable and satellite providers and is used to produce high-quality Canadian television shows for broadcast across Canada and internationally.

[squigly1]

Well, looks like it's time to boycott RadioShack.

What high quality programming does the Canadian Television Fund help fund? The only quality show we have up here is HNIC and I think our tax dollars are funding that and not this CTF.

[travisc]

Shows like:

Blue Murder
Cold Squad
Da Vinci's Inquest
Red Green Show
Rideau Hall
This Hour has 22 Minutes
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Hoze Houndz (my brother-in-law works on this cartoon)
The Toy Castle
Wumpa's World
Edgemont

Check out http://www.canadiantelevisionfund.ca/ for more.

[beerme1]

Counterpoint to Travis, this from an article that James99 posted that was from legal rights, Matthew Fraser.

"Hollywood studios invest more in movie production in Canada than the CRTC will ever extract from Astral Media. "

You keep saying that support will be lost. How do you respond to this?

[squigly1]

If having US satellite programming takes funds away from that quality programming that travisc listed then I'm all for it. That, to me, is a sorry list.

I'd much rather watch "The Shield" on FX. Don't tell Sheila that though

[viper]

Can we not produce programing in this country without getting a tax credit? Why are these company's always at the public trough? :x

[travisc]

Hey, I never said it was a good list. What people like or dislike is largely a question of taste. My 19-month old son likes Toy Castle. I'm not a big fan of it, but hey.

beerme1, you're right in terms of Toronto being Hollywood North. That's well known. And that keeps movie crews in business and streets blocked off. There's a lot more to the industry than that. And besides, the way people in Hollywood have been crying about all the dollars flowing our way, don't be surprised if that comes to an end someday.

[beerme1]

There is an uproar right now in Hollywood over how much they do up here. But unless the actors went on striike over the issue, or the dollar were to miraculously became a real dollar again, I don't see the situation changing much.

I have a son in law who who works at PC. They do or used to do, im not sure anymore, X Files as well as a host of other stuff. Canadian and US.
And if he were to lose out because of a lack of Canadian productions, such is life. Time to find employment elsewhere.

[XM4243]

back to the topic at hand, Radio Shack. I can understand why Radio Shack would be happy since they sell SC and BEV but you have to wonder why they would put out a press release when you know its just going to piss people off :-?

[Gunsmoke2 - GS2]

Shows like:

Blue Murder
Cold Squad
Da Vinci's Inquest
Red Green Show
Rideau Hall
This Hour has 22 Minutes
Degrassi: The Next Generation
Hoze Houndz (my brother-in-law works on this cartoon)
The Toy Castle
Wumpa's World
Edgemont

No offence but I have never heard of one of these channels. I have cable service


Its a real shame to think that these channels should deprive Canadians from Accessing Foreign and US channels..


I think if some conducted a survey if they rather have these channels protected versus not receiving grey market channels they would find that most Canadians would prefer grey market access.


GS2

[travisc]

These aren't channels, they're shows. Shows supported by the Canadian Television Fund, which came up earlier.

[beerme1]

I think Radio Shack could care less about Canadian content, or jobs or shows etc.
I think Radio Shack would jump at the chance to sell DTV or DISH.
Naturally any retailler would like to sell a product that is hot.

If I was a retailler I would be upset if there was a grey market, only for the fact that the grey market dented into my stores profits.
This is a legitimate gripe.

[james99]

Originally Posted by XM4243

back to the topic at hand, Radio Shack. I can understand why Radio Shack would be happy since they sell SC and BEV but you have to wonder why they would put out a press release when you know its just going to piss people off :-?

My thoughts exactly.

[satgod]

Well maybe they want to sell more serial cables and accessories for BeV . :evil:

[hugh]

travis

Hey, I never said it was a good list. What people like or dislike is largely a question of taste. My 19-month old son likes Toy Castle. I'm not a big fan of it, but hey.

Toy Castle rocks! Ragdoll, ballerina, strong man. Other than the national and Caillou it's the only Canadian TV show watched in our house.