Shaw Communications has been given the go-ahead to merge its satellite and cable operations.
In a decision released this week, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission approved an application by Shaw Communications Inc., on behalf of Star Choice Television Network Incorporated.
It will delete the conditions of licence relating to structural separation for the national direct-to-home satellite distribution undertaking Shaw Direct.
The rules required that the provider maintain separate sales, marketing and customer service operations for its Shaw Direct (formerly StarChoice) satellite and cable divisions.
In its release, the CRTC stated that Shaw may have been at a disadvantage because its conditions of licence only applied to Shaw and not to its competitors. It said that, in today's competitive distribution market, maintaining these conditions of licence for Shaw when they do not apply to other BDUs, including the other DTH undertakings, agreeing with Shaw's position that it was being 'discriminated' by the rules.
Although the Commission noted that Shaw's "bundling opportunities, and innovating to respond to customer demands" were impacted, it noted that its decision only dealt with Shaw's direct-to-home operations.
The Commission also noted that a separate complaint will look at TELUS's comment regarding Shaw's alleged anti-competitive behaviour, and was outside the scope of the current decision and proceedings.