The crtc has denied tvontario’s application for mandatory Quebec distribution of tfo, Ontario’s French-language educational channel. tvo had requested tfo become part of an optional, additional-fee analog package, at a cost of 50 cents per subscriber.

In its March 1 decision, the commission acknowledges the high quality of tfo programming, but ‘did not see fit to require distribution companies to carry tfo and levy an additional charge on consumers.’

The crtc says Quebec already has an educational network in Tele-Quebec, supported by a $53-million annual government appropriation. In rejecting the application, the crtc says Canada’s five educational channels partly come under provincial jurisdiction.

tfo is already available in digital mode, and is on the list of eligible satellite services. The crtc says it will support tfo’s distribution in Quebec and the rest of Canada on a strictly optional basis.