Montreal: The crtc will release its report on a French-language arts tv service on Nov. 15. The report emerges from a government Order in Council asking the commission to review the feasibility of a national arts specialty service in French. If the crtc determines a service is feasible, a call for licence applications will follow.

In its review submission, Radio-Canada says no existing channels, including Tele-Quebec, tfo or Canal d, are completely fulfilling a ‘national’ arts mandate. src has asked the crtc to proceed as quickly as possible towards a launch. The src proposal continues as a partnership with Bell Satellite and France’s La Sept-arte.

A letter from Moses Znaimer, president/executive producer of Bravo! NewStyleArtsChannel, says Chum Ltd. ‘is fully prepared to play an appropriate role in the operation and/or programming of a new French-language arts channel should the Commission choose to issue a call for licence applications.’

Znaimer’s letter concludes with, ‘As recently stated by the Vice President of Radio Canada, Michelle Fortin, ‘French Canada needs its own Bravo! We agree.’

In another letter to the crtc, Television Quatre Saisons chairman Wilbrod Gauthier says tqs or its shareholders may in time wish to request a licence or licences for an arts service as described in the report.

Astral Communications did not file an intervention, but the Canadian Association of Broadcasters did, as did many performing arts organizations across the country.

Several important crtc decisions are scheduled in December, including the licensing framework for pay and specialty tv; renewal of licence for cbc radio and tv networks, local stations, rdi and Newsworld; and the proposed definitions on television content categories and dramatic programs.

by Leo Rice-Barker