A direct-to-home satellite tv programming supplier, Tee-Comm Electronics, has officially filed with the crtc its support of Telesat Canada’s request for a class exemption from licensing hearings.

Ted Boyle, vice-president of business development at Milton, Ont.’s Tee-Comm, says his company agrees with Telesat Canada that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission should issue such an exemption for Canadian dth suppliers.

Boyle says the exemption would help provide greater regulatory certainty and allow Canadian suppliers to compete more equally with u.s. direct broadcast satellite and dth service suppliers in a timely manner.

Three proposals

As well as its support for Telesat Canada, Tee-Comm has also given the crtc three specific proposals for consideration.

The company wants a limited exemption from the regulatory body to grandfather the operations of existing program services from the u.s. that the crtc has allowed to be sold in this country via analogue signals on American satellites.

Tee-Comm also wants the crtc to reaffirm its policy of allowing companies that deliver authorized services with a network licence to deliver them dth without an additional permit.

As well, Tee-Comm would like Canadian dth suppliers to be allowed to provide u.s. program services on the eligible list to the dth market in this country using one of Telesat Canada’s Anik E satellites.

Tee-Comm intends to provide Canadians with a direct broadcast satellite service of up to 150 channels of basic, premium and pay-per-view programming on a 24-inch satellite dish by late next year.