AfterDawn: News

Canada entertains bids for OTA HDTV offerings

Canada's federal broadcast regulator will begin hearings today on whether or not it will allow two companies to enter into the ring with their own unique over-the-air HDTV signals. Toronto businessman John Bitove has proposed to start the first over-the-air high-definition TV network with stations in Canada's eight biggest cities. Another entrant, Yes TV, wants a licence to operate a station for the Toronto market.

The proposals have drawn considerably unfavorable opposition from television's big players such as CTV and Global, which state they are gearing up for the advent of HDTV and believe they are already facing hard times with acquiring the correct advertising schedules for a profitable market.



If successful, the Bitove HDTV operation would represent the first time a network was born into existence from nothing, without a series of pre-existing stations or acquisitions bonded together. Bitove's proposed network would offer English-language HDTV free of charge in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Halifax.

Written by: Dave Horvath @ 12 Feb 2008 12:34

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• 5 comments

• windsong

  Free HDTV for Grandma with the rabbit ears (the TV, not Grandma). :)
  
  Provided her set can support it..

  12.2.2008 14:32 #1

• vinny13

  Does Toronto mean Hamilton?
  
  We're a big city too...

  12.2.2008 17:25 #2

• borhan9

  Always good to have something new out there.

  8.4.2008 21:25 #3

• ghope5

  Iam from Halifax as far as I can tell we do not have any over the air Hd tv broadcasts for now. I hope this will come true for this area would anyone know what the time line for this would be.

  27.4.2010 14:17 #4

• ghope5

  What Is The outcome of this Bid by Bitove HDTV It's almost 2 years since they applied to the CRTC Is there an out come.

  6.5.2010 17:14 #5