OTTAWA/TORONTO(Reuters) – In a bid to shake up Canadian broadcasting, media company Quebecor Inc says it will launch a 24-hour conservative news and comment channel that many observers are already dubbing "Fox News North".

Quebecor said Tuesday it has applied for a three-year licence for the proposed English-language Sun TV News channel and if successful, would start broadcasting on January 1, 2011.

Quebecor Chief Executive Pierre Karl Peladeau said Sun TV News would provide much-needed competition for all-news channels operated by public broadcaster Canadian Broadcasting Corp and by CTV, part owned by telecoms giant BCE Inc and newspaper publisher Torstar Corp. .