Direct-to-home service provider ExpressVu is currently applying to the crtc for its delivery licence and in the application its final proposed packaging strategy is outlined.

Based on a set of seven criteria, the company has organized its 100 channel inventory into three packages, ExpressKit, ExpressPlus and ExpressChoice, offering varying degrees of pizza-dished service.

ExpressVu stated aims include: to take advantage of dth technology to offer the largest possible amount of programming, particularly to the primary market area – the remote and underserved market; to respect the consumers desire for choice and to offer a Lifeline service to provide less advantaged Canadians access to foundation programming as well as ethnic, native, parliamentary and educational services at a reasonable price.

The ‘Lifeline’ service, ExpressKit, outlined in the application is available with English, French or combo options. In addition to the cbc, src, ctv, Global, and cpac, the proposed package includes tvnc (serving Northern Canada) and cfmt in support of the company’s stated principles to serve remote areas and to provide multicultural programming.

Approval sought

The application requests that regional services, such as Global, cfmt and tvnc be approved for national distribution, making more local programming available to viewers across the country and helping to add balance to American programming. Sources close to ExpressVu say that chances are good that the crtc will be favorably disposed to this proposal.

The proposed basic service, ExpressPlus consists of 62 channels for the English package and 30 channels for the French package, including all Canadian and most u.s. networks, as well as access to 30 channels of ppv. This lineup also features Canadian independent stations chch, city, citv Edmonton and cfmt, the majority of the Canadian specialty channels including tsn, MuchMusic, Discovery, Showcase, Life, Bravo!, Newsworld and wtn, ytv, the Family Channel and u.s. specialties a&e, tlc, cnn, cnn-2, cnbc, bet (Black Entertainment Television) and six super stations.

While current cable industry linkage rules prohibit the carriage of one of the u.s. superstations and the bet, ExpressVu has requested that it be allowed to carry these stations pending review of crtc restrictions.

Pay audio channels

ExpressPlus also includes at least 20 pay audio channels and 10 licenced Canadian radio stations.

The company anticipates that of the 100,000 predicted initial subscribers, 80% of customers will sign on to the ExpressPlus package.

The ExpressChoice package proposes to offer customers a selection from ppv, pay-tv (Movies), Thematic Program Packages and Cultural/ Linguistic packages.

The Pay Per View option features 30 channels of ppv, an essential feature of which is the use of Canadian productions. For the pay-tv option, tmn and MoviePix will be available in eastern Canada and Superchannel and MovieMax will be offered in western Canada.

Thematic packages

Thematic program packages, which include sports, music, family and education, and news and information are designed to appeal to those who do not want to buy a whole cable package to access one themed channel. Customers wishing to avail themselves of one of the ExpressChoice options must also subscribe to one of the other two packages. There are also a group of incidental services included in each package, such as an Electronic program guide to facilitate delivery of programming and an ExpressVu marketing channel.

Pricing is expected to be competitive with cable equivalents with estimates for ExpressKit at around $8, ExpressPlus at roughly $29 and each of the thematic packages at about $10.

The application meets the Friday deadline for dth providers to submit license proposals to the crtc. ExpressVu is expected to begin airing in late autumn when difficulties related to lack of transponder space on the Telesat’s Anik E1 satellite are resolved.