TORONTO – According to a source with direct knowledge of the matter, Quebecor’s Sun News was removed from the Bell TV satellite lineup as of 10 a.m. this morning (Tuesday, May 3).
According to the source, and confirmed by another, the channel slot itself will remain but the feed has been replaced with text telling customers that the channel “has been taken down at the request of the owners of Sun News."
When Sun TV undertook its rebrand last month, Bell approached the CRTC to clarify under which license the newly branded channel fell under (either the old over-the-air license or a category 2 digital) and the company decided to leave it on in the meantime, since most terrestrial cable operators have continued to carry it as they are required to carry all local off-air broadcasters.
According to the source, the CRTC told Bell and Sun News that on DTH, the channel is considered a cat 2 digital (i.e. discretionary) service.
Quebecor then told Bell that if a wholesale agreement wasn’t completed by May 3, (the day after the federal election) Bell Satellite TV would need to take the signal down.
That has happened.
One assumes since Sun News is still an OTA license in Toronto market, it will remain on Bell’s terrestrial Fibe TV service, but that is not yet confirmed.
We’ve made some calls and e-mails. More to come as this story develops.
– Greg O’Brien
