For nearly 4 years now, PrideVision TV has been available on Shaw as an Á la Carte (stand-alone) adult service.  As the world’s first GLBT television network to broadcast 24/7, aside from it’s popular adult shows, PrideVision contained a wide range of informational programming including current affairs, documentaries, health and fitness, lifestyle, finance, relationships, music, cooking and travel.

This April, PrideVision launched a new channel, OUTtv, which effectively split the network into two different realms.  OUTtv took over all of the informational programming, while the new Hard On PrideVision TV provides hard core gay adult content 24 hours a day.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has reviewed the programming for the new OUTtv and classified it as Category 1.  This puts it in the same arena as other lifestyle channels such as the Food Network, Men TV, Discovery Health, One: Body Mind and Spirit Channel, Fine Living, and Fashion TV.

Oddly enough, the original PrideVision TV was also classified as Category 1 when they first launched, before they started featuring their adult programming.

"Shaw resisted very highly the distribution of PrideVision in 2001 at its inception, and they ignored PrideVision being treated like all the other Category 1’s," said Bill Craig, president of OUTtv and Hard On PrideVision.  "PrideVision submitted a complaint to the CRTC in September 2001 that stated in part: ‘Fair and equitable packaging of PrideVision  on distribution systems owned by Shaw Communications Inc. has been problematic from the outset.  As the Commission knows, representatives of Shaw have made public statements to the effect that Shaw will not carry the service in certain areas.  Shaw representatives have also said that if the service is carried it will not be packaged with other programming services.  Having realized that PrideVision is a must-carry service, Shaw is now impeding the preview of PrideVision in order make it as difficult as possible for anyone to sample the service.’"

With Shaw insisting on offering PrideVision as premium-only distribution, all the other cable operators had to follow suit to stay competitive. The gay community and PrideVision have suffered greatly from this decision.

For Craig, this pattern is starting to look all too familiar.  Once again, Shaw has overlooked OUTtv’s CRTC classification, refusing to bundle it with other lifestyle stations and continuing to charge customers $7.95/month for the channel.  On their website, they list OUTtv in their Adult Á la Carte services, alongside of the straight pornography stations – PlayBoy TV, Hustler, and a bundle of the two.  Ironically, Shaw has refused to carry Hard On PrideVision altogether, deeming it inappropriate.

When a representative from GayCalgary.com phoned Shaw’s customer service, Shaw reiterated that OUTtv contained "adult" content, and would continue being classified as a premium stand-alone channel.  GayCalgary.com’s calls to Shaw’s Media Relations department were not returned in time for our press deadline.

PrideVision has tried many times to solve these issues, to no avail.

"The new owners [of PrideVision] have tried to negotiate with Shaw since July 2004. Shaw continues its high resistance to gay-based programming services," Craig said. A complaint was submitted to the CRTC March 23rd and the Commission is presently assessing if and when there should be a hearing.

Initially, PrideVision was running into similar problems with satellite service Bell ExpressVu, who has since come around.  The company has taken steps to include OUTtv as a bundle or an Á la Carte service at a lower rate.

Nathalie Moreau, Associate Director of Media Relations at Bell Canada told GayCalgary.com, "OUTtv does not contain any Adult programming.  As a result Bell ExpressVu has re-priced this service on an Á la Carte basis from $7.95 to $1.99 to $2.50, depending when the service was first purchased and depending on the combination of other packages with which it is purchased. Actually, most other satellite and cable distributors have adopted the same approach.  PrideVision was positioned in the Adult programming section of Bell ExpressVu’s EPG and in it’s marketing materials because this is the way the service was positioned by both the former and new owners of the service. OUTtv (PrideVision’s successor), while operating under the same category 1 must-carry licence from the CRTC, is free of this [adult] category of programming and has consequently been repositioned by Bell ExpressVu and other distributors as per the request of the current owners."

How can the GLBT community help support OUTtv?

"We are asking that the world’s first GLBT channel be finally treated like all the other Category 1’s by Shaw Cable and Direct Choice. Letters, emails and phone calls [even leaving a message] as high up the chain as possible would be of the most help," said Craig. "Consider sending [an] email to others that may have a similar interest in getting proper distribution of OUTtv, the World’s first Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender TV Channel."

OUTtv and Hard On Pride

6166954 Canada Inc. "PrideVision TV"

200 - 491 Church St

Toronto, ON

M4Y 2C6

www.pridevisiontv.com

inquiries@pridevisiontv.com

The following is a list of contacts at Shaw and the CRTC where you may send your comments on this issue:

Shaw Communications Inc.

(403) 750-4500

JR Shaw, O.C

Executive Chair of the Board

jr.shaw@sjrb.ca

Jim Shaw

Chief Executive Officer

jim.shaw@sjrb.ca

Peter J. Bissonnette

President

peter.bissonnette@sjrb.ca

Cynthia Rathwell

VP, Regulatory Affairs

440 Laurier Ave. West, 200

Ottawa, ON

K1R 7X6

cynthia.rathwell@starchoice.com

(613) 234-5759

Fax: (613) 234-7502

Michael Allan

Corporate Vice President

(In charge of programming decisions for Shaw Cable and Star Choice)

michael.allan@starchoice.com

(905) 403-2025 (Toronto Area)

Fax: (905) 403-2630

Assistant Maria Pagnini

(905) 403-2633

maria.pagnini@starchoice.com

Assistant Joy Loder

(905) 403-2652

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

General Questions and Comments

1-877-249-2782 (toll-free)

TDD Line: 1-877-909-2782

Client Services

(819) 997-0313

TDD line: (819) 994-0423

CRTC Edmonton Office

(780) 495-3224

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