Canadian Association of Broadcasters to close June 1

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters says it is planning to shut down after reaching an impasse in the dispute between broadcasters and cable companies. Chairman Elmer Hildebrand says the organization, which represents Canadian radio and television broadcasters, has decided close this June. Hildebrand has been trying since December to help the CAB find common ground between broadcasters and cable operators, who have been forcing increasingly different views on the industry. After reviewing its strategy, the organization concluded that TV operators like CTV and Canwest wouldn't be able to find a common ground with cable companies like Rogers Communications Inc., which have broadcasting assets. Both Canwest and CTV have been pushing for a tax on cable operators like Rogers for carrying over-the-air television signals, an approach that has created a major rift between the two sides. Hildebrand says he hopes to form a new organization in the future that solely represents radio broadcasters.