Chum Ltd., which received a license from the Canadian government to provide subscription radio services in the country using terrestrial technology, filed a protest over the awarding of similar licenses to competing satellites services.

Chum and Astral Media Inc., a partner in Chum’s subscription venture, were joined by 10 other Canadian broadcasters in filing a protest against the June 16 decision by the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to award licenses to Canadian Satellite Radio Inc. and Sirius Canada Inc. The Canadian broadcasters argue that the license does not require the satellite radio operators to provide enough Canadian content.

“Irrespective of Chum and Astral Media’s interests as licensees, we do not believe that the regulatory framework created by these decisions allows for a sustainable broadcasting system,” Paul Ski, executive vice president radio for Chum, said in a statement. “The low threshold of Canadian content requirements imposed on the U.S. supported satellite licensees is a dramatic departure from historical broadcasting precedent. If allowed to stand, this will inevitably cause significant harm to not only Canadian artists and radio broadcasters, but to the Canadian broadcasting system as a whole.”

This is the third appeal of the decision filed with the Canadian government, joining separate protests filed by a coalition of French-language cultural groups and a coalition of English-language culture and labor organizations.