Adam Johnson
Northern News Services
Monday, March 26, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - Northerners getting CBC and APTN over a TV antenna may have to look elsewhere in the future, following recent submissions both broadcasters made to the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission.

"What CBC did along with all the other broadcasters was make a presentation to the CRTC to put a sunset date on analog television, the old method of delivery," said CBC acting regional director John Agnew.

That means rabbit ears may be a thing of the past nation-wide for the public broadcaster, which owns and operates 34 television transmitters in communities around the North (another 53 are owned and maintained by the communities themselves).

However, this depends on the CRTC moving forward with the broadcaster's submissions, something that wouldn't come to fruition until "2011 or 2012," Agnew said.

Rising costs and aging equipment are the major issues facing over-the-air transmission of television, said CBC's senior manager of production and resources David McNaughton.

"(These transmitters) were put in under the accelerated coverage program in the 70s," he said. "That equipment is 30-40 years old. Clearly there has to be some investment there."

APTN CEO Jean LaRose echoed these sentiments in his presentation to the commission.

"One option, and the only one that is financially feasible for APTN, is to phase out our terrestrial transmitters and to deliver our service in the North by cable or through DTH satellite services," he said during APTN's presentation.

While antiquated, the antenna system still serves more than 11 per cent of TV watchers across the North (Yukon, NWT, Nunavut and Nunavik), according to numbers provided by LaRose to the CRTC. This compares to 10 per cent of TV viewers across Canada, according to numbers provided by the Friends of CBC, a Canadian-content watchdog group.

Inuit Broadcasting Corporation executive director Debbie Brisebois emphasized the importance that CBC has to citizens in small communities.

"If they're not broadcasting over the air, people have to subscribe to cable," she said.

"There's cost to that. That means it's not accessible to everybody. CBC is our national broadcaster.

The only national public broadcaster should be available to all Canadians."

While some Canadians may be left clutching at their antennas in fear, Inuvialuit Communications Society executive director Topsy Cockney said Hockey Night in Canada fans have nothing to worry about.

"I have confidence that there will be a solution," she said. "I don't foresee that we are going to remove anything to provide APTN and CBC to our smaller communities."

"There's no plans afoot to pull the cord and let people dangle," McNaughton added. "That would be a silly way to do business."