Quebecor Media and Sun Media have made it official: they are no longer asking the CRTC for special treatment to launch Sun TV News into the Canadian market.

The CRTC on Friday said the backers of the proposed all-news TV channel have amended their application for Sun TV News “by withdrawing the request for time-limited mandatory access.”

“The Commission has accepted the amendment,” the regulator added.

The climb down follows Quebecor Media earlier asking the CRTC to allow the conversion of Sun TV, a Toronto over-the-air TV station receiving mandatory carriage, into Sun TV News so the conservative all-news channel could launch into all Canadian homes.

The CRTC said no to that special treatment, and apparently to a second request for Sun TV News to be offered to all Canadian cable and satellite TV subscribers for at least three years so it could survive and eventually thrive against all-news specialty channels already operated by the CBC and CTV.

Quebecor Media, by amending its Sun TV News application, has conceded that the upstart all-news channel will have to compete for subscribers like any other category 2 digital channel, without favorable treatment.

The CRTC has scheduled hearings on the application for Sun TV News to start November 19.