CRTC hearing will look at education aspect of Oprah Winfrey Network in Canada

GATINEAU, Que. – The federal broadcast regulators will take a look at the educational aspect of the Oprah Winfrey Network Canada to determine if it is meeting its licence requirements of broadcasting educational content.

The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications says it will hold a hearing next Tuesday looking into whether the network’s shows are educational enough to meet its mandate.

Media company Corus Entertainment Inc. (TSX:CJR.B) has the licence for the Oprah Winfrey Network Canada channel.

That channel used to be the Canadian Learning Television channel until it was rebranded as VIVA, a women’s entertainment channel and then rebranded as Oprah Winfrey Network in March 2011.

The CRTC says OWN was originally approved as the Canadian Learning Television channel and is required to provide formal and informal educational programs that generally focus on adult education.

The CRTC recently killed the $3.4 billion friendly take-over deal by Bell to acquire Astral Media, saying it wasn’t in the best interests of Canadians.