Starting October 30th, HBO will finally be available to Canadian cable and satellite subscribers. However, HBO has been trying to come to Canada for years. Just three years ago, the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) refused to grant HBO a broadcasting license on the grounds that HBO would "compete" against existing networks!

So what's different now? This time HBO made a deal with The Movie Network and Movie Central that would be considered monopolistic in most countries:
- HBO conceded to take over the ailing MMore station (which is also owned by The Movie Network's parent company - Astral Media).
- HBO conceded to devote 25% of it's airtime to Canadian shows (which will no doubt be purchased from The Movie Network and Movie Central's parent companies - Astral Media and Corus Entertainment).
- HBO conceded to be bundled with The Movie Network and Movie Central, so that consumers are not allowed to choose HBO instead of the existing channels.

This is a disgusting state of affairs! Isn't competition is good? Competition promotes businesses to improve and offers consumers choice - but the CRTC doesn't see it this way.

kinda sounds like the hdnet deal.

I don't see anything sleazy about that. It sounds like a standard deal for Canada. I just hope that means 25% Canadian content on HBO Canada, not HBO everywhere. (Not that they couldn't get enough good shows... you might be surprised at how many Canadian shows you watch already.)

I was wondering what a "sleasy" arrangement was.

:D

I would assume the Canadian content applies only to the Canadian HBO feed, and not the U.S. feed.

you might be surprised at how many Canadian shows you watch already.Flashpoint

I don't see anything sleazy about that. It sounds like a standard deal for Canada.

The standard Canadian arrangement is sleazy. They have allready said that things like the Chris Rock specials etc are out so we are just going to get what we have been getting but now with HBO in the title. I guess they think it will make it more legitimate for them to run reruns of the Sopranos to death while charging top dollar for what was supposed to be a premium movie channel.

your wrong about the chris rock special and a few other events, here is a brief outline from the official release:

With its launch in October, HBO Canada will be home series such as True Blood, Entourage, Big Love, Flight of the Conchords and In Treatment, airing day-and-date with HBO in the U.S. Astral and Corus say the service will also offer some other library titles and first-run HBO original films, comedy specials, documentaries, live concerts and sporting events which were previously unavailable in Canada, including Real Time with Bill Maher, Def Comedy Jam and Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger.