 In addition to these specialty channels, certain foreign channels, most commonly American cable networks such as CNN and Spike, are permitted.In general, foreign channels are permitted provided that they are deemed not to directly compete with Canadian channels at the time of their introduction.In rejecting a 2003 application proposing the addition of several U.S.-based channels, the CRTC stated that by allowing Canadian channels to maintain control over these types of programming, they are able to fully access the available advertising and subscription revenues, which would otherwise flow outside the country, in order to fund Canadian programming.