Broadcasters launch campaign for carriage fees

Canadian broadcasters are banding together to campaign for the right to negotiate with cable companies over fees to carry local programming, three networks announced Thursday.

The campaign, called "Local TV Matters" was unveiled by executives from Canada's major broadcasters CBC, CTV andGlobal ata news conference in Toronto on Thursday.

The futures of 30 small andmedium-sized local TV stations in Canada could be at risk, the networks said.

Broadcasters and cable carriers have been locked in the fee-for-carriage debate for the past few years.

Broadcasters say they need the money to producelocal programming, which has been hard hit bycompetition from the internet and declining advertising revenues during the economic downturn.

Carriers say they would pass fees on

Cable and satellite TV providers who pick up the broadcasters' signals for free now say they should not be charged for bringing those broadcasters more viewers. Cable companies have also said theywould just pass along the fees to subscribers, who would pay an estimated $10 more a month.

Bill Chambers, the CBC's vice-president ofcommunications,said consumers shouldn't have to pay anything if fees are imposed. The money should come from the pockets of the cable and satellite companies, he said.

Bell,Bell Aliant,Cogeco, EastLink, Rogersand Telusalready have launchedtheir own campaignagainst the fees, called "Stop the TV Tax."

CRTC to review issue

Last month, Heritage Minister James Moorewaded in, directing Canada's broadcast regulator the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to hold a hearing and report back to the government.

The commission, which has twice rejected the fee-for-carriage idea, had already announced in August that it would reviewtheissue again ata hearing beginning Nov. 16.