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Time was, Canada’s broadcast regulator had a commanding say in what Canadians could and couldn’t watch on TV.

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Canadians increasingly like to watch their TV over the Internet and two of the country’s biggest communications and broadcast companies are promising to give them what they want.





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With jurisdiction over everything from how much domestic content broadcasters and cable companies must show, to the number and type of channels included in a cable package, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission still determines the kind of programs that cable and broadcast companies can offer and, by extension, how profitable they are.

Enter Netflix Inc. With a market capitalization of US$28.7-billion, analysts say the streaming video company has changed the way people around the world watch TV with its promise of inexpensive movies and TV shows delivered over the Internet, whenever subscribers want to watch. Already Netflix is causing serious concern among Canadian cable companies and broadcasters, disrupting their business models and forcing players to up their game.