Availability of television services in the Canadian broadcasting system

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The information in Post #2 comes from from a CRTC report issued today. The appendices and complete report can be found here.

Notable Facts.

• On 31 December 2008, there were 75 English-language and 20 French-language private commercial conventional television services authorized to broadcast in Canada
  
• There were 44 Canadian analog specialty services on 31 December 2008
  
• 166 Category 2 digital specialty services have been approved. As of 31 December 2007, 53 services were launched: 50 English-language, two French-language and one operating in both official languages.

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Television services authorized to broadcast in Canada consist of private and public conventional (over-the-air) television services, specialty services, pay television services, pay-per-view (PPV) services, video-on-demand (VOD) services and educational services, whether they be English-language, French-language or bilingual (i.e., operating in both official languages).

On 31 December 2008, there were 75 English-language and 20 French-language private commercial conventional television services authorized to broadcast in Canada. The English-language private conventional television market consists of major ownership groups such as CTVglobemedia Inc. (CTVgm), Canwest Media Inc. (Canwest), and Rogers Media Inc. (Rogers). The French-language market consists of major ownership groups such as Quebecor Media Inc. (Quebecor) and Remstar Diffusion inc.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is Canada's national public broadcaster. The CBC owns and operates 26 conventional television stations, of which 15 are English-language and 11 are French-language. The CBC also operates two national conventional television network services, one in the English language and the other in the French language.

There were 44 Canadian analog specialty services on 31 December 2008: 28 English-language, 14 French-language as well as two services operating in both official languages. There were also 18 Category 1 digital specialty services: 15 English-language and three French-language. There were 166 approved Category 2 digital specialty services, including 141 English-language services, 19 French-language services, and six services operating in both official languages. As of 31 December 2007, 53 services were launched: 50 English-language, two French-language and one operating in both official languages.

As of 31 December 2008, the Commission had approved 19 English- and French-language pay services, of which 12 were Category 2 digital pay services. As of 31 December 2007, three Category 2 digital pay services had been launched: two English-language and one French-language.

As of 31 December 2008, there were seven terrestrial PPV services: five English-language, one French-language and one operating in both official languages. There were six direct-to-home (DTH) PPV services: four English-language, one French-language and one operating in both official languages. There were also 25 licensed VOD services: 12 English-language, two French-language, and 11 operating in both official languages. As of 31 December 2007, ten of these services had been launched: eight English-language and two French-language.

At the end of 2008, there were a total of seven educational services: four English-language and three French-language. Finally, there is a cable public affairs channel operating in each official language.

A more detailed breakdown of the number and type of television services authorized for broadcast in Canada is set out in Appendix 1.