TORONTO – The CRTC should set a date to force over-the-air broadcasters to end to analog distribution, Rogers Communications says in its submission filed today with the commission as part of its TV policy review.
The commission should maintain its requirement for traditional broadcasters to build digital transmission facilities, but it should also mandate an end to simultaneous analog transmission, the company says.
With the proliferation of digital technology and increasing consumer demand for choice, the commission should move to a “more flexible, market-driven approach to regulation,” the cableco says. Viewers are expecting to be able to watch their favourite shows when they want and on the device they want, Rogers argues.
Rogers is also recommending the commission loosen or eliminate restrictions on advertising for broadcasters and distributors to capture incremental revenues that can support the production and distribution of high quality Canadian programming.
It’s also calling for the CRTC to reject any over-the-air fee for carriage model, including a fee to carry broadcasters’ HD signals. The company says it’s “an unworkable and inappropriate approach to achieving broadcasting policy objectives.”
The company’s suggestions are not wholesale, stresses Phil Lind, Rogers’ Vice Chairman. “Rogers is not asking for an overhaul of the regulatory framework or a revisiting of the goals and objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act. It is critical, however, that the regulatory framework provide greater flexibility for all players to capitalize on emerging opportunities.”
Rogers says its submission advocates regulation that fosters consumer choice and program diversity; rewards innovation and encouraged investment in new technologies; and maximizes the ability of distributors and broadcasters to compete.
The commission is seeking comments on the regulations for over-the-air television, which will be reviewed in a public hearing in Gatineau in November.
