CRTC officially revokes CKXT licence ending free access to Sun News

The CRTC has officially approved TVA Group’s request to revoke the broadcasting licence for CKXT-TV and its related transmitters. The issue first surfaced in May, when some cable providers complained the channel’s parent company, Quebecor, was using the station to air Sun News programming over the “free” airwaves — in addition to its specialty cable service, which requires a fee.

The CRTC has officially approved TVA Group’s request to revoke the broadcasting licence for CKXT-TV and its related transmitters. The issue first surfaced in May, when some cable providers complained the channel’s parent company, Quebecor, was using the station to air Sun News programming over the “free” airwaves — in addition to its specialty cable service, which requires a fee. In the words of its competitors, Sun News was trying to have it both ways.

Essentially, this means no more free access to Sun News. From now on, Sun News can only be viewed on cable and satellite services that have made a deal with Quebecor to carry the station.

The move has been in the works since the summer, when, as The Globe and Mail reported, Quebecor tried to smooth things over by telling the CRTC it would give back its over-the-air broadcasting licence.