Well, I didn't expect this outcome. But for a change, a must carry cable service applied for a small rate increase - which would almost certainly be passed along to you - and the CRTC actually said no. 

It involved the case of a station called Canal M, a specialty French language outlet that serves the visually impaired. By its very nature, it has a small audience and it claimed it needed a fee boost to keep operating. Since it's a must carry, you have no choice but to receive and pay for it, even if you've never tuned it in for a second. 

The request wasn't huge - the channel wanted a 3-cent a month hike, from 4 cents to 7 every month. So why did the Commisson say no? The answer is that the company behind Canal M refused to show their financial information, and never replied to negative interventions from Rogers, Bell, Cogeco and others, who complained cable is already on the edge and an increase no matter how small, would be impossible to justify to their already dwindling customer base. (Remember that the next time they raise your rates!)

So in the end the CRTC said no, despite the fact Canal M warned they won't be able to provide adequate programming without the extra money. They're a must carry, so can they go off the air? It remains to be seen if this Canal sinks into a financial canal that has become the specialty TV business. 

But at least for now, your bill won't reflect anything.

CRTC Decision