The CRTC today announced changes to over the air broadcasting in Canada.  I for one am happy to see these changes and look forward to reading into some of the details once I get some time.  Analog shutdown in the US has been a real catalyst for over the air HDTV, and I expect it to do the same here.  While I get fantastic over-the-air HDTV coverage here in Toronto the same is not true in other communities across Canada.

Notably, the Commission has decided to:

• remove restrictions on advertising time limits after gradually increasing the amount of advertising allowed;
• establish August 31, 2011, as the date by which television licensees will only broadcast digital signals;
• require English- and French-language broadcasters to caption for the hearing impaired 100 per cent of their programs over the 18-hour broadcast day, with the exception of advertising and promotions; and
• deny a subscriber fee for the carriage of local conventional television stations on cable and satellite as its necessity has not been demonstrated.