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I understand your concerns - I used to have a grey market satellite dish for ExpressVU, and found some of the Canadian content particularly excellent. (Although the best stuff usually makes it to US TV soon enough, mostly comedy shows).

But I guess I just can't get past the fact that the government is, in essence, censoring a news source. A system like ExpressVU could carry FOX News, but perhaps not put it in the basic package, or perhaps sell a separate "Canadian" package for customers who want to limit themselves to Canadian content. That would be a reasonable market-based solution, rather than an agency making the choice for everyone.

And as for a news channel, I would think that sort of programmer would be the least offensive to the CRTC. Aren't they mostly worried about the continued production of Canadian TV shows and movies?

A Yank with an ExpressVu grey market dish? My God man! Let me shake your hand! I'd never have thought there was such a beast! :)

Seriously though, 4 years ago, Global Television got a license to re-broadcast Fox News as part of Fox News Canada, the proviso being that there would have to be some Canadian content, something that doesn't seem out of line.

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/archive/eng/Decisions/2000/DB2000-565.htm

Now, if you're not familiar with Global, they're a third national network that has made its money by buying American programming and then simulcasting that programming with the orginating network from the States, counting on the CRTC mandate that when an American and Canadian network are broadcasting the same program at the same time, cable companies are required to switch the Canadian broadcaster's signal over the American, thus giving Global 2 channels at the same time. This they've done while producing almost nothing of their own (with one exception) aside from news.

So, it's not really like Fox News can't be had up here; it's just that those who have the license to bring it don't think they can make any money off it.

As a follow-up, really the CRTC has more to do with ensuring a Canadian voice on Canadian airwaves, be it news, sports (Go Leafs :)[ah, what the heck; 36 years without a Stanley Cup, might as well be 37]), drama, etc..

Don't you think that packaging Canadian programming in some specialized tier is a bit insulting? I doubt the same would be tolerated south of the border. When you consider that by virtue of the economies of scale presented by having a population 10 times ours, your programming is paid off in your home market and can be sold here for well below what it would cost to produce the same. And it's not like everything eminating from New York and L.A. is gold either. It's just that your industry can afford to screw-up 10 times more often and get away with it, a luxury the Canadian industry doesn't have. If you're honest about it, try to explain how it is that so many 2-star movies pull in $100 million+. Most of it is because of the hype, the constant advertising. And with exceptions, where are those films a month down the road? Gone because the box-office dropped like a stone in the 3rd weekend, upstaged by the newest 2-star gotta-see. Which is not to say that good film and television doesn't come from the States. The trouble for us up here is getting screen time.

If the new application to allow the broadcast of FOX News, by itself and not including the other cable entertainment channels, is denied I will agree with you that this is censorship of a news source, since CNN is already available here. We'll see what happens to the new application, which was only submitted 2 or 3 weeks ago.