Proposed 'Fox News North' makes headlines south of the border

TORONTO, Ont. - The controversy over a proposed conservative Canadian TV network is making news south of the border.

The Hollywood Reporter has carried two stories in the past week detailing Quebecor's bid to launch Sun TV News, a 24-hour right-wing all-news network.

The bid has sparked controversy across Canada, with detractors labelling the proposed channel "Fox News North" and launching petitions protesting its creation.

A September 3 Hollywood Reporter story outlined author Margaret Atwood's entry into the debate, quoting from her Twitter account.

Three days later, the entertainment trade publication ran a story detailing a lunch meeting between Prime Minister Stephen Harper and top executives with Fox News Channel.

The Reporter story sites an editorial from the Calgary Herald defending the meeting as well as a Toronto Star column voicing opposition to the proposed network.