Last year, the CRTC (which regulates broadcasting and telecom in Canada) licensed more that 200 new channels that would be made available through digital compression over both old coax cable and direct broadcast satellite. I've gone through the decision a few times, marveling at the implications. In part, the commission was saying, Present something reasonable, show that you might be able to do it, and you have our permission. Of course, you had to be one of the Canadian cable players: CITY, Global, Alliance... the usual suspects.

Anyone familiar with American cable offerings will see the few remaining niches filled: classic sports, Animal Planet, a Nick at Night clone, MSNBC, and the Biography Channel. But there are a few surprises:

~ Landscape will offer "the ultimate relaxation channel" with what are essentially nature videos with a new age soundtrack. I have already suggested this to Donna as perfect pet-sitting content.

~ PrideVision will be the world's first gay and lesbian broadcasting service. Don't hold your breath for this appearing anytime soon in the USA.

~ Movieola will be showing short films, animation, and digital media as if they were music videos. I don't know if there is anything like this anywhere else.

~ Drive-In Classics will tap CITY TV's seemingly bottomless vault of cheesy flicks.

~ BookTelevision is also from CITY. It will be interesting to see what they can cook up here that goes beyond Bravo Canada's current offerings.

~ WETV The Green Channel actually started out as an IDRC-supported project.

The new channels launch tomorrow. I could never have enough television channels. The problem, I think, is that regardless of how many there are, something is always missing, and that vacuum, of course, is people. Too many of us have given up on real contact.