Star Ray TV

October 10, 2001 Press Release

For immediate release, Toronto:
Star Ray TV forced to CRTC Hearing

Jan Pachul, operator of Star Ray TV, the Community TV station in the east end of Toronto for the past two years, has had his CRTC hearing, and it could very well be the first many appearances of this long-running TV horror show. If this were a television series and were to be given a name, that name could be Jan Meets the Godzilla from Hull.

On September 19, 2001 the CRTC called Pachul to appear before them to explain "whether he was operating a television undertaking without a licence." Pachul freely admits that he has indeed been on the air, serving a widening viewership in Greater Toronto roughly spanning the area from Scarborough on the east to Lawrence and Weston Road on the west, and from the lake to East York in the north.

"The real question, to me" says Pachul, "is why won't they grant me a licence to operate a low power TV station devoted to public service?" He has filed for a Judicial Review of CRTC actions from the Federal Appeals Court of Canada. In the meantime, probably fired up with the huge amount of press Pachul has generated, a number of other, richer players are entering the area of public service. Applications have been made for licences by at least three other companies to provide locally oriented TV service.

"There is nothing new about this approach," says Pachul, "Companies like City-TV have promised local service in the past, then grew so big they had to chuck the idea." The same will happen with these new applicants. Meanwhile I've wanted to provide it for the past five years and the CRTC is stonewalling me."

Pachul is also upset by the way he was portrayed in the transcript of the hearing. "I was made to sound like a mixed-up hippy because they inserted a lot of 'you knows' plus a bunch of 'likes' in every sentence to make me sound foolish. That kind of cheap tactic won't stop me. I'm going to fight on as hard as I can."

Star Ray TV supporters plan on demonstrating against the CRTC as part of Media Democracy Day on Friday October 19. Targeted for the protest is the CRTC's Toronto office at 55 St.Clair Ave. East. Call 416 693-7400 to participate.

The horror show continues. Stay tuned.

Transcript URL: http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/transcripts/2001/tb0919.htm

For more information, please contact Jan Pachul directly at
Phone: (416) 693-7400, or email: srtv at srtv.ca
Or visit the Star Ray web site at srtv.ca