[Satellite TODAY 10-03-11] The Supreme Court of Canada ruled that it would hear an appeals case involving Bell Canada and cable companies Cogeco, Rogers Communications, Telus and Shaw Communications to determine if cable and satellite companies should be required to pay for local TV signals, court officials confirmed Sept. 30.

   The appeal relates to a 2010 ruling by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), which stated that broadcasters could negotiate fees to place a value on local TV signals. Cogeco Cable appealed that decision to the Canadian Federal Court of Appeals, which upheld the ruling in February.

Canadian cable and satellite companies are currently not required to pay for carrying over-the-air TV signals due to the fact that they are primarily subsidized by advertising.

   “We believe the federal court was correct in finding that Value for Signal falls within the CRTC’s jurisdiction. Conventional television stations must have a regulatory framework that allows them to survive on their own merits, regardless of whether they are integrated with cable and satellite companies. This antiquated compensation model is not viable in today’s media landscape,” Bell Media President Kevin Crull said in a statement.