OTTAWA — Charles McVety has been an outspoken proponent of Bill C-10, but the president of the Canadian Family Action Coalition isn’t appalled with the CRTC’s recent decision to license a pay-TV pornography channel.

‘This is more of a free-market thing. What I’m really opposed to is the Canadian taxpayer having to pay for it,’ he says. ‘I wouldn’t fight against [the porn channel], but I don’t approve of it either.’

The broadcast regulator last week approved Edmonton-based Real Productions’ bid for Northern Peaks — the third porn channel, including Hustler TV Canada, the CRTC has approved since 2003. But Northern Peaks is being billed as ‘Canada’s first adult video channel offering significant Canadian adult content.’

Northern Peaks will spend at least $1 million on Canadian programming in its first year of operations, and at least 50% of the broadcast day and evening must feature homegrown content.

‘The channel, though, better not be put on free preview or offered automatically to unsuspecting families,’ adds McVety.

The CRTC has made it clear in its decision that Northern Peaks will not be packaged with other channels and will be available only to subscribers who request it.

Real Productions produces cable TV series, adult movies and series for Starz, Playboy TV and HBO. The company’s website says what makes it unique is ‘simply, our ability to find lovely women who have never appeared in an adult video in their lives and tape them in fully explicit action with amateur male performers.’

Northern Peaks will be restricted to certain types of programming, such as long-form documentary, dramatic series, comedy series, specials, miniseries, made-for-TV movies, feature films, game shows, general entertainment and human interest.

Like all other national Category 2 channels, Northern Peaks will not be issued a broadcast licence until it has inked a deal with at least one TV distributor.

In the interests of the free market, McVety notes the CRTC should be equally as open in its dealings with religious channels.

The CRTC has criticized The Miracle Channel, a religious-based service based in Lethbridge, AB, over its fundraising approaches, and has denied its request to rebroadcast its signal in Calgary and Edmonton.

Earlier this year, McVety was a vocal minority in support of Bill C-10, which, if passed, would give the heritage minister the right to deny tax credits to productions deemed ‘contrary to public policy’ because of their sexual or violent content. A litany of Canadian actors, production companies and guilds protested the bill, saying it amounted to censorship.