Sun TV to be blue-collar and right wing, but no Fox News

Canadians are about to get a third 24-hour English-language cable news channel, and it’s one that plans to shake up the industry. The CRTC approved a five-year licence for Sun TV news service Friday — referred to by critics as Fox News North — to go into direct competition with CBC’s News Network and the CTV News Channel. The federal regulator’s green light was considered a sure thing after Quebecor Inc. dropped its request for a special licence that would have required cable and satellite carriers to offer the service. The Category 2 competitive licence that it was granted means Sun TV will need to negotiate with cable and satellite carriers for a place on their lineup. Last summer, Quebecor officials argued that failing to be designated as a must-offer channel like the CTV and CBC news services would doom the enterprise. But the CRTC had previously ruled that no such licences would be issued because it was dropping the category next September.