OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Time to revive all the old jokes that CRTC stands for “Can’t Release ‘Til Christmas”.
The Commission today confirmed that the complex issues facing a decision on what to do about the Canadian television fund were too much to consider prior to the previously-set September deadline.
A December decision means it will have been about a year since Shaw Communications tried to blow up the fund by withholding payments and saying it would rather give money claimed from cable and satellite bills for the CTF, back to its customers. Quebecor Media’s Videotron soon followed suit.
This is a story Cartt.ca has followed extensively all year, too many stories to link them all here. Just type in “CTF” into our search box for all the background.
The Commission launched a public process on June 29, 2007, the same day that the Task Force on the Canadian Television Fund published its report. The report contained a number of recommendations to improve the funding of Canadian programs, increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the CTF, and enhance the participation of broadcasting distributors, such as cable and satellite companies, in the CTF, says the Commission’s release today.
However, few voiced their approval of the report – on either side of the debate – and many suggested a further public process was necessary. But not anymore as we wait ‘til Christmas, or thereabouts.
