TORONTO – Media Access Canada (MAC) has asked Industry Canada to use the pending 700 MHz spectrum auction to top-up its accessibility fund initiative.
MAC, on behalf of the Access 2020 Coalition, MAC is urging Industry Canada to include a 10% buyer’s premium on successful bids for the 700 spectrum, and apply a portion of the funds collected to the accessibility fund. MAC and Access 2020 are committed to financing a business model to achieve 100% captioning and description by 2020. Currently at $5.7 million, the fund’s establishment is conditional on the CRTC approval of BCE’s acquisition of CTV.
“The Accessibility Fund is the first of its kind in the world and Industry Canada, like the CRTC, has the opportunity to make Canada the international innovator in technical and policy development,” said Beverley Milligan, executive director of MAC, in a statement. “Finally, those most directly affected by accessibility in the Canadian communications system will be empowered to take charge.”
