LOOK FILES COMPLAINT AGAINST SHAW
By Adnews Staff
Look Communications of Toronto is taking on Shaw Cablesystems of Calgary over a Look TV ad that Shaw is blocking from its cable system. Look has filed a formal complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission requesting that Shaw "cease and desist from altering or deleting" Look's infomercials on Torstar TV, which was running the ad until Shaw said it violated their contract. Late last month, Look began airing an infomercial on Torstar TV, which is carried by Shaw, for its multi-point TV distribution service. Shaw asked Torstar to stop carrying the ad because it violated their contract. "Torstar's programming is in there through a contract that states Torstar can't put advertising on the channel that would be injurious to Shaw or its customers," Shaw operations senior vice-president Peter Bissonnette told Adnews in a recent interview. Look has rejected this argument saying the cable giant "cannot by contract evade or displace their regulatory obligations under the Broadcasting Act, the regulations there under and the commission's policies and decisions," Look's letter of complaint states. Shaw began blocking the ad on January 12, replacing it with an ad for its Internet service.