The CRTC has told Alliance Atlantis to pull CSI: NY from History Television, ruling that the crime drama does not count as programming about past or current events.

The ruling appears to end an ongoing argument between the Alliance-owned channel and the Writers Guild of Canada, which earlier this year complained to the federal regulator that the series — a spin-off of the popular CBS franchise, set in present day — does not belong on History.

Alliance appealed, arguing that the show fit History’s mandate because of its setting and frequent references to the Sept. 11 attacks, ‘one of history’s most significant and notorious events.’ To prove its point, Alliance sent 14 episodes to the CRTC in May, citing stories that involved 9/11 or referred to other events in the Big Apple.

In a July 25 letter to Alliance exec Elizabeth Duffy-MacLean, the feds conceded that ‘while an occasional episode may deal with a current or historical event, the series is clearly one that is about forensic investigations, not history or current events.’ AAC has been given until Jan. 1, 2008 to take ‘the necessary measures’ to remove the show.

WGC chief Maureen Parker cheered the decision, remarking in a statement that the CRTC made the right decision and ‘restored integrity to the Canadian broadcasting system.’

Alliance did not return calls for comment. The CSI franchise is coproduced by Alliance and CBS.