TORONTO (Hollywood Reporter) – Canada’s TV watchdog on Friday blessed the launch of Vanessa, a national pay TV porn channel.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) approved the application by Montreal-based Sex-Shop Television to operate a digital French-language channel devoted to “the themes sex appeal, sensuality, eroticism and sexuality” for a seven-year license period.
The regulator said the proposed pay TV channel will include documentaries, news coverage and magazines that focus on the sex shop industry.
At the same time, the CRTC barred the operators of Vanessa from airing infomercials, corporate or promotional videos, a key driver of advertising revenue.
The regulator said it received only two submissions against Vanessa. To ensure Vanessa remains within Canadian taste standards, the CRTC said the proposed pay TV channel must meet “general community standards within the context of a discretionary service intended for an informed public.”