The Friends of Canadian Broadcasting has asked the crtc to launch an ‘inquiry’ into cable companies’ introduction of new specialty channels.

The public broadcast lobby group says cable operators such as Rogers and Cogeco have ‘dragged their feet’ in rolling out digital cable, leaving many new specialty channels licensed in 1996 still awaiting carriage. However, the fcb points out that all the cable-owned specialties and six new u.s. satellite services have been added to Canadian cable systems since then.

The fcb wants the commission to determine whether the delay in launching the ‘orphaned’ specialties is a violation of the Broadcasting Act by the cable operators.

‘We have seen one cable operator move forward on commitments made to the commission to invest in digital,’ says fcb spokesperson Ian Morrison, referring to Shaw Communications’ recent announcement of digital readiness. ‘We have also seen mounting evidence that the balance of the industry is dragging its feet,’ he says.

‘The commission has an obligation to ensure that its access regulations are strictly enforced and that the remaining English-language specialty services are launched on a timely basis,’ says Morrison.

But crtc spokesperson Denis Carmel says that as far as he knows the crtc doesn’t conduct ‘inquiries’ and the commission will treat the matter as a formal complaint.

Canadian Cable Television Association president Richard Stursberg dismisses the fcb’s allegations and says the fcb’s letter to the commission fails to specify exactly what rule in the Broadcasting Act cable operators have supposedly broken.

‘I don’t know exactly what it is he’s [Morrison] claiming we haven’t done that we’re supposed to be doing,’ says Stursberg.

‘He seems to be upset about something but I don’t know what it is.

‘We’ve followed all the commission’s regulations and rules.’

Stursberg is quick to point out that the remaining specialty channels don’t have to be launched until September. ‘Why are we all worked up in February?’ he asks. ‘The rule is if we’re not at 15% [digital penetration by September] they’re supposed to put [the remaining specialty channels] up in analog.’

Stursberg also says that open cable boxes are only now starting to be commercially available. Shaw’s recent announcement of digital readiness is not for the open cable boxes but rather digital boxes that simply expand channel capacity.

Open cable boxes, which Stursberg expects to be more widely available by the end of the year, would allow consumers high-speed cable modem Internet access and the ability to pick and pay for the specialty channels they want.

Stursberg also questions whether the fcb has the mandate to represent the interests of the unlaunched specialty channels.