DTV is one emerging media technology in London. Although some TV stations have begun broadcasting digital signals in addition to their regular VHF or UHF broadcasts, this is not yet as pervasive as in the United States. Most markets have digital channel assignments already in place. Digital TV sets are available in most London stores, but most consumers still have not switched from their analog sets.
In Canada, a deadline was set in these CRTC hearings that by August 2011 Canadian broadcasting should be digital all the way. This is approx. 2 years later than the cutoff date in the US. As suggested by networks, CRTC decided in favor of relaxing restrictions on ads. As of that date, there were only 22 digital transmitters that had been fully installed across the entire country, falling short of the required number of installations expected to pave the way for a shift to digital broadcasting. 90% of Canadian households use cable television, making it a very common method of television programming delivery in the country. Currently, there are 739 licensed cable distributors in Canada. This streamlining of the cable distribution companies from 2000 just a few years ago is attributable both to major cable companies acquiring smaller distributors and to a recent change in CRTC rules by which independent cable operators with fewer than 2,000 subscribers are no longer required to operate under full CRTC licenses.
Major Canadian cable companies include Shaw, Cogeco, Videotron, Rogers, and EastLink. But despite these many numbers, most cable companies do not compete with each other directly. Only one cable company serves a specific market in most Canadian cities. And in the few cities that are served by more than one cable company, each company is restricted to a specific geographical division within the market. For instance, in Hamilton, Cogeco Cable, Mountain Cablevision and Source Cable are all licensed operators, but each has a monopoly in a specific area of the city. However, 2 major companies offer direct broadcast satellite delivery as an alternative to cable: Bell TV, which is a division of BCE Inc., and Star Choice, which is a division of Shaw Cable.
For relatively remote communities in the Territories, cable delivery is so expensive that similar services are offered through MMDS technology. Canadian and American special interest channels are offered as extended cable packages, which are available for additional fees. Sometimes, this is referred to as pay per view channels. In the past, cable companies have engaged in the controversial practice of negative option billing, where a subscriber is automatically given and billed for the new services unless he or she specifically declines them, but this practice is now deemed illegal. Cable companies now offer digital cable packages in most Canadian cities, including a number of channels which have been licensed exclusively for digital package distribution. Digital cable also typically includes a range of audio broadcast services such as Galaxie and Max Trax. Digital cable service may also include local radio stations. Where this is offered, it has largely replaced the availability of cable FM service.
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