OTTAWA – In order to better process the large amount of applications it receives, the CRTC is seeking comments on a proposal to exempt from licensing pay television and specialty Category B services with a limited subscriber base. It’s also seeking input on proposed amendments to the exemption order respecting third-language television programming undertakings. These would permit services that offer 40% or more of their programming in any one of the Cantonese, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish languages to be eligible for exemption. The deadline for filing comments is August 7, 2012.
The commission contends that the current licensing process for Category B services is inefficient and needlessly time-consuming. In the interest of improving the process of authorizing such services, the commission seeks comment on the appropriateness of exempting from licensing pay television and specialty Category B services with a limited subscriber base that meet certain criteria.
On a preliminary basis, the commission has considered three potential subscriber thresholds for the new proposed class of exempt undertakings (the commission notes that other thresholds are also possible, and that it is open to the consideration of different thresholds for the English-language and French-language markets):
– 20,000 subscribers, which could capture 42 Category B services currently in operation;
– 100,000 subscribers, which could capture 48 Category B services currently in operation; and
– 200,000 subscribers, which could capture 50 Category B services currently in operation.
In light of the above, the commission calls for comments on the following in regard to the proposed exemption of Category B services:
– the appropriateness of exempting from licensing pay television and specialty Category B services with a limited subscriber base;
– its proposal to exempt from licensing, through an exemption order, pay television and specialty Category B services with a limited subscriber base that, at the same time:
- operate under an approved nature of service definition, and
- serve a maximum number of subscribers, such as those proposed in paragraph 10 of this notice or some other appropriate threshold; and
- its proposed exemption order for pay television and specialty Category B services with a limited subscriber base entitled Exemption order respecting small pay television or specialty programming undertakings that do not compete directly with specialty Category A or Category C services, set out in Appendix 1 to the present notice.
Furthermore, the commission calls for comments on its proposal to exempt from licensing, through amendments to the Exemption order respecting third-language television programming undertakings, third-language television undertakings where the programming broadcast in each calendar week is 40% or more in any of the languages of Cantonese, Greek, Hindi, Italian, Mandarin or Spanish. It also calls for comments on amendments relating to undue preference in regard to such services, the loudness of commercial messages, and the filing of information with the commission.
The commission says it may be necessary to license pay television and specialty Category B services that serve a number of subscribers under a certain threshold and that operate under an approved nature of service in order to implement the policy objectives of the Act. In the commission’s view, such exempt services may continue to contribute to the quality and diversity of programming available to Canadians and the broadcasting system as exempt undertakings.
Submissions must be filed by sending them to the Secretary General of the commission by only one of the following means: by using the Intervention/comment/answer form or mail to: CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2, or by fax at 819-994-0218.
