GATINEAU – Using SAP for CPAC is not good enough for the federal government.
Earlier this year, the feds directed the CRTC to change its exemption policy when it came to the Cable Public Affairs Channel so that most systems will now be forced to carry both the English and French channels.
Friday, the Commission issued a Public Notice, calling for comments on the revised distribution order for CPAC (which carries House of Commons and Senate proceedings as well as other public affairs programming), reflecting the government’s order.
Currently, most cable systems carry one video feed of CPAC, with an English and French audio. On most systems, the French is offered as an SAP (Secondary Audio Programming) option, which has been CRTC policy.
Not good enough, said Ottawa region MP Mauril Belanger, who pushed the Heritage Committee into forcing the CRTC’s hand (because CPAC, which is owned by the country’s cable operators, certainly didn’t ask for the change) so that CPAC’s two full channels must be carried by everyone.
“The Governor in Council issued Direction to the CRTC (Reservation of Channels for the Distribution of CPAC) SOR/2005-60, (the Direction), pursuant to its powers under section 26(1)(b) of the Broadcasting Act, as set out below,” says today’s call:
DIRECTION
1. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission is hereby directed to require cable broadcasting distribution undertakings who have 2,000 or more subscribers, whether or not they are exempted from licensing by the Commission, to reserve two video channels, one channel for the English-language service and the other for the French-language service, for the distribution of the licensed and exempt programming services provided by the Canadian Public Affairs Channel (CPAC). One of the video channels shall be on the basic service.
While one of the feeds will have to be carried on analog basic, the other video feed can be carried on digital, says the public notice. Non-digital systems with under 2,000 subscribers with plant capacity under 550 MHz also still enjoy some of the exemption – although there aren’t many of those left.
The deadline to comment is September 6th.
