16 popular cable TV channels to get axe; No rights in Caribbean region

(Trinidad Express) The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) is calling on cable television providers to remove 16 channels for which they have not acquired Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) from local channel line-ups.

The 16 channels are:

ABC; CBC; CBS; City TV; CMT; Comedy Central, USA Networks; CW(WPIX), Encore Western, FOX, KTLA, My TV 33, NBC, TLC, USA Network, VH-l, USA, WGN.

TATT said in a statement the affected channels fall into the following categories:
-Not available because the rights for them are not available to the Caribbean region
-Available, but rights for them have not been acquired by the provider.
“Any other channel which is legally available but for which the provider has not yet acquired rights will be removed and the Authority will work with providers on a case-by-case basis in this regard,” TATT said.
“The above actions have become necessary to ensure that Trinidad and Tobago is in compliance with international IP treaties and agreements to which it is a signatory.