CRTC Body Approves Vanessa Channel

The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada's TV watchdog, said as long as industry codes on violence are followed and "equitable portrayals" of the sexes are maintained , an application by "Sex-Shop Television" will be approved by the government body, allowing Sex-Shop to offer its adult pay TV service "Vanessa" in HD."Vanessa", founded by French TV host/producer Anne-Marie Losique, will make its initial thrust into the market, October 2010.According to the CRTC:"...The Commission approves the application by 'Sex-Shop Television Inc.' to amend the broadcasting licence for the national, Category 2 pay television programming undertaking known as 'Vanessa' in order to allow the service to be available for distribution in high definition (HD) format until the end of its current licence term. The Commission did not receive any interventions in connection with this application."Consistent with the CommissionÂ’s approach to HD specialty services set out in Broadcasting Public Notice 2006-74, as well as with the changes to this approach announced in Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100, the licensee shall be subject to the following condition of licence until the end of its current licence term:"The licensee is authorized to make available for distribution a version of its service in high definition (HD) format, provided that not less than 95% of the video and audio components of the upgraded and standard definition versions of the service are the same, exclusive of commercial messages and of any part of the service carried on a subsidiary signal. Further, all of the programming making up the 5% allowance shall be provided in HD..."The service, billed as "Canada's Playboy Channel," must air at least 20 percent homegrown content, leaving lots of room on the dial for U.S.-originated content.The Vanessa channel promises a range of French-language, erotic-themed dramas, with the CRTC overcoming earlier objections from religious groups that argued Canadian-content obligations for Vanessa meant young Canadians will be hired to work in the porn industry, and that Ottawa was in effect sustaining a homegrown adult entertainment industry.Canadian actors union ACTRA, who are usually vocal in their protection of performers from 'non-signatory', ie 'non-union' producers, have yet to make any statements about attempts to unionize the increasingly profitable Canadian porn movie industry, before the English-language counterpart for Vanessa becomes available to the rest of Canada by 2011...