TORONTO and OTTAWA – Industry reaction to the CRTC’s decision to issue one year broadcast licences to four private conventional television networks has been swift.
The Candian Media Guild (CMG) warned that the decision “poses an immediate threat to local programming” in Canada, and “should raise fears across the country” over the future of over-the-air television after the digital conversion in August, 2011.
“We know that broadcasters have had an unprecedented number of closed-door meetings with the CRTC," said Lise Lareau, president of CMG, in a statement. “Our concern is that this fast-tracking of the process is going to circumvent real discussion about the future of local programming and over-the-air television. Broadcasters have been using a weak economy to seek permanent changes to their obligations to Canadians.”
CMG said that it wants the CRTC to “guarantee” Canadians that it will “seek the widest possible input before making major permanent changes to the way broadcasters serve the public.”
The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) also issued a press release that echoed parts of that from CMG.
Saying the short term license renewals “can only be successful if the public’s voice is given weight against corporate cries that the sky is falling”, it called for a “fully transparent” process.
"We are in an age when regulators such as those in the financial community have proven themselves to be more like sleeping kittens than growling watchdogs, said says Peter Murdoch, vice president of media for CEP, in the press release. “The CRTC must show Canadians that it is serving our national and cultural priorities, not simply the private ownership interests of these mega media conglomerates."
Murdoch also encouraged the CRTC to reconsider the conventional broadcasters requests for fee-for-carriage, suggesting the additional revenue could help maintain local programming.
“The Commission appears to be focused exclusively on helping these companies off the hook by letting them slide away from their commitments including service to local communities," Murdoch continued.
