Toronto – from www.hollywoodreporter.com – The latest news from Canadian TV is that the country’s first pay TV porn channel is going to air Oct. 28.
Vanessa was originally licensed in 2007 as a national pay TV service. But Montreal-based Sex-Shop Television has only now gotten around to launching a French-language adult subscription channel in liberal Quebec for $14.95 a month, with an English-language counterpart promised for the rest of Canada in late 2011.
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada’s TV watchdog, put Vanessa on a short leash, indicating the porn channel must follow industry codes on violence and “equitable portrayals” of the sexes.
And the porn service, billed as “Canada’s Playboy Channel,” must air at least 20% homegrown content, leaving lots of room on the dial for U.S.-originated content.
The CRTC overcame earlier objections from Christian groups that argued the 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.
The Vanessa channel promises a range of erotic-themed dramas, reality shows, documentaries and variety and magazine shows.
The Quebec broadcaster will also broadcast its soft-core porn content in HD.
Canadian cable and satellite TV services already feature a host of XXX-rated pay TV adult content at the top of their dials, but source the programming from U.S. suppliers.
Sex-Shop Television must now convince cable and satellite TV services to carry the French-language porn channel and market it to potential subscribers.
Canada to get its first porn channel
Vanessa pay TV promises range of erotica beginning Oct. 28
By Etan Vlessing
April 27, 2010, 04:10 PM ET
TORONTO — The latest news from Canadian TV is that the country’s first pay TV porn channel is going to air Oct. 28.
Vanessa was originally licensed in 2007 as a national pay TV service. But Montreal-based Sex-Shop Television has only now gotten around to launching a French-language adult subscription channel in liberal Quebec for $14.95 a month, with an English-language counterpart promised for the rest of Canada in late 2011.
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), Canada’s TV watchdog, put Vanessa on a short leash, indicating the porn channel must follow industry codes on violence and “equitable portrayals” of the sexes.
And the porn service, billed as “Canada’s Playboy Channel,” must air at least 20% homegrown content, leaving lots of room on the dial for U.S.-originated content.
The CRTC overcame earlier objections from Christian groups that argued the 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.
The Vanessa channel promises a range of erotic-themed dramas, reality shows, documentaries and variety and magazine shows.
The Quebec broadcaster will also broadcast its soft-core porn content in HD.
Canadian cable and satellite TV services already feature a host of XXX-rated pay TV adult content at the top of their dials, but source the programming from U.S. suppliers.
Sex-Shop Television must now convince cable and satellite TV services to carry the French-language porn channel and market it to potential subscribers.