CRTC SETS SOME RULES FOR CABLE COMPANIES
By Adnews Staff
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has set some rules for cable providers when it comes to wooing a cable customer. A decision made last week by the CRTC, effective immediately, will make cable companies follow certain marketing rules when a customer has chosen to subscribe to services provided by a competitor. Under the new rules, customers who chose to cancel their cable service, or have given permission to another company to do so on their behalf, should not be contacted by the cable company to market its services for a period of 90 days following the cancellation. The CRTC has also stated no discounts or "win-back" offers should be made to customers who cancel their basic service. The arrival of competition in the distribution market has given some consumers a choice in their television provider. Recent additions to the market include: Bell ExpressVu, Star Choice, Look Communications and Sky Cable.