Canada's car manufacturers, who have been aching to get the okay to install satellite radios in their new models, yesterday welcomed the CRTC's decision to license the new service.
But the decision came so late that car makers will have a tough time getting the new hardware into the 2006 models that will be released later this year.
David Patterson, General Motors of Canada Ltd.'s vice-president of corporate and governmental affairs, said he was pleased with the decision, but is unsure whether GM will be able to put radios in the 2006 cars sold in Canada.
"It's the right decision," he said, "We're optimistic we can [get radios in the 2006 models] but we don't have a lot of time to waste."
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He said GM will have to meet with its partner, Canadian Satellite Radio Inc., to see when it thinks it can start the service that was licensed yesterday. The concern is that the requirement for eight Canadian channels at startup might delay the launch.
Canadian car buyers have heard about the satellite radios that are already installed in U.S. models, Mr. Patterson said, and this has created "a pent-up demand in our customer base."
Car owners who have a satellite radio-equipped car will still have sign up for the service, and pay monthly subscription fees.
At Honda Canada Inc., the CRTC's ruling is already too late for the 2006 model year.
Senior vice-president of corporate affairs Jim Miller said yesterday that engineering and design work for the 2006 model year is already done, so XM satellite radios -- also from CSR -- won't be installed until the 2007 models.
While XM radios are already in place in U.S. Honda models, there are subtle differences in the design of the Canadian models that mean they can't be immediately adapted to accept the radios, Mr. Miller said.
Still, "the ruling is favourable inasmuch as we can start installing the radios in the near future," he said.
Honda's 2007 model cars will hit the showrooms in August or September, 2006.
The first Honda models with satellite radios will be Acuras and high-end Accords, Mr. Miller said. The devices will be installed on other models in future years,
Canadian vehicle makers have been lobbying hard over the past months for the CRTC to make its decision.
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