The Canadian Press reports, “Sun TV’s brand of right-wing television news is set to launch April 18, the Quebecor parent company has confirmed. …The conservative all-news channel is hoping to replicate the success of the Fox News network in the United States. …It will feature hard news and ‘straight talk’ featuring well-known firebrand personalities, such as conservative commentator Ezra Levant, Corus radio talk host Charles Adler and others. Its international content will be purchased under contract with CNN, not Fox. …The commercial ready to go emphasizes that the network will be standing up for taxpayers and defending ordinary Canadians.”
“The project was announced in a blaze of publicity last summer by former Stephen Harper spokesman Kory Teneycke. He briefly left the endeavour in September but returned earlier this year.”
“The CRTC approved a five-year licence for the channel Nov. 26 after Quebecor Inc. dropped its request for a special licence that would have required cable and satellite carriers to offer the service.” The Council of Canadians opposed Sun TV’s bid for ‘mandatory access’ status in all cable and satellite TV lineups, http://canadians.org/campaignblog/?p=4803. “The regulator received thousands of interventions from citizens across the country. Many were filed through a New York-based advocacy group (Avaaz.org) that started an online petition demanding the CRTC not give any special favours to the channel they dub ‘Fox News North’.” 83,487 people signed the Avaaz.org petition.
