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Capping a year-long process, the CRTC has granted a television license to Electrohome and Baton Broadcasting to operate Vancouver Television (CIVT-TV) in Vancouver. The CRTC chose the Electrohome/Baton proposal over four others including CHUM, Rogers, CanWest, and Craig Broadcasting.
In a detailed document, the commission cited CIVT's commitments to local programming and production spending in the market as reasons for awarding the license.
In addition to the station's own financial commitments, its owners will inject substantial amounts of money into the regional production of new Canadian drama series and will bring the stories of B.C. to viewers in other parts of the country," said CRTC chairperson Francoise Bertrand.
The new service will increase Baton's reach among Canada's English-language television viewers to a level roughly equal that of CanWest Television Inc. and WIC Television Ltd.
Although many in Vancouver's arts community supported the CHUM/City-TV bid, most comments from the community were positive about the decision.
Vancouver Television says it will spend $72 million on Canadian programming over the seven-year license term.
In addressing the Rogers bid to acquire the assets of Talentvision, a local ethnic pay service, the CRTC decided it "would bring little additional diversity to the market, as it would essentially represent the replacement of an existing ethnic service by another such service, albeit one that would be available at no cost to a larger potential audience" in denying the application.
In addressing the CanWest application to provide service to Victoria, the commission said, " ... [we] acknowledge the clear demand among Vancouver Island residents for a new local service ... however, the application by CanWest does not present an acceptable remedy to these concerns.
For example, while the ... Canadian programming proposed by CanWest is fully nine hours more than the amount offered by any other applicant, more than 40 per cent of those hours, and more than 50 per cent of the station's schedule overall, would consist of programs also included within the CKVU-TV schedule, but aired at different times..."
While denying the CanWest bid, the commission says there still exists an opening for a second local station in the Victoria market.
Despite the sustained growth and prosperity of the Vancouver market, television service hasjust begun to catch up to demand....