MONTREAL – Videotron has formed a nine person Citizen Advisory Committee for its French-language community channel MAtv, as directed by the CRTC in February.
As Cartt.ca reported, the CRTC found that MAtv was not complying with local and access programming requirements, and directed it to do so before its next licence renewal in August 2015. It also ordered Videotron to form a citizens' advisory committee by March 15 that will determine the mix, scope and types of programs that would best serve the needs and interests of the greater Montreal community.
“At the end of our recruitment effort, nine citizens who are engaged with the community and reflect Montreal's vigour and dynamism agreed to sit on the committee”, reads a statement by Videotron. “Their roles in the community and professional backgrounds will help MAtv make sure that its programming is of interest to and representative of all segments of Montreal society. The purpose is to give voice to the city's cultural, economic and social life and to reflect its multicultural character.”
The Advisory Committee members are:
– Fortner Anderson, English-Language ARTS Network (ELAN);
– Eric Lefebvre, Director of Development, Quartier des spectacles Partnership;
– Annie Billington, Coordinator, Communications and Community Relations, Culture Montreal;
– Martin Frappier, Director of Communications, Chantier de l'economie Sociale;
– Marie-Pier Veilleux, Director, Strategic Forums, International Leaders, and Special Projects, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal;
– Cathy Wong, President, Conseil des Montrealaises;
– Philippe Meilleur, Executive Director, Montreal Native Community Development Centre;
– Aida Kamar, CEO, Vision Diversite; and
– Vanessa Destine, student, Universite de Montreal; regional coordinator, Communautique; and MAtv volunteer.
Videotron added that it will renew its distribution licences for the Greater Montreal area in the coming months, and that its renewal applications will also include “the concrete action it plans to take in order to restore MAtv's compliance.”
MAtv is available to approximately 1.8 million homes in Montreal, Québec City-Lévis, Sherbrooke, Cap-de -la- Madeleine, Sorel-Tracy, Granby, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean and Outaouais.
