XM Canada Unveils Lineup; Sirius "Pushed" By CRTC On Stern

XM CANADA's lineup has been unveiled, and it includes an all-hockey channel and other Canadian-targeted material. Among the channels in the 80-channel package are hockey talk channel HOME ICE, Canadian all-News channels CANADA 360 (English) and FRANC PARLER (French), Canadian comedy channel LAUGH ATTACK, Rock service SIGNED, and French-language QUOI DE NEUF (entertainment news), AIR MUSIQUE (hip-hop-Alternative hybrid), and SUR LA ROUTE (pop-Rock-Alternative). The service is priced at C$12.99/month and is expected to launch next month.

...we have standards we have to abide by in this country...

Meanwhile, competitior SIRIUS CANADA partner GARY SLAIGHT, CEO of SIRIUS CANADA co-owner STANDARD RADIO, tells the TORONTO SUN's JIM SLOTEK that the Canadian government is the reason HOWARD STERN is not in that company's debut lineup. Asked by SLOTEK whether it's like buying the PITTSBURGH PENGUINS and deciding to do without budding superstar SIDNEY CROSBY, SLAIGHT retorted "well, what if SIDNEY CROSBY was going to be arrested and put in jail within two weeks? The CRTC, who we are licensed to, would eventually force us to take STERN down, because we have standards we have to abide by in this country when you own a broadcasting license." 

SLAIGHT said that the CRTC "pushed us about this... (STERN) was definitely a topic of conversation. We (STANDARD) are a big broadcaster and have to deal with the CRTC on other issues. And the CBC (also a partner in SIRIUS CANADA) obviously has a cultural mandate to be concerned with." STERN aired on STANDARD's Rock CHOM/MONTREAL in 1997-98 and CORUS Rock CILQ (Q107)/TORONTO in 1997-2001.

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