The CRTC has turned down Canada One, rejecting the proposal filed earlier this year by broadcaster Paul de Silva and others on the grounds that the would-be multicultural channel would not stand out from the already diverse pack of Canadian broadcasters.

In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the feds noted that the proposed channel ‘would make a contribution to the system’ but that it ‘would not be of exceptional importance in meeting the cultural diversity objectives of the [Broadcasting] Act, given that the industry has implemented wide-ranging initiatives in this regard.’

In an e-mail to colleagues and reporters, de Silva expressed disappointment. ‘Sadly, the CRTC decided not to take a bold step and missed a golden opportunity to address the inequities in the system,’ he wrote, adding that the channel’s backers are ‘assessing our options in responding to the decision.’

His partners include Amos Adetuyi and Alfons Adetuyi of Toronto prodco Inner City Films and Halifax’s DHX Media.

The channel proposed to spend more than $2 million on script and concept development over a seven-year licence term and asked for digital basic coverage, meaning it would have been a must-carry for distributors, and would have to be taken by all digital TV subscribers.