OTTAWA – The CRTC’s recent revisions to BDU’s contributions to local expression was met with disappointment by the Canadian Association of Community TV Users and Stations (CACTUS) who says that the approximate $30 million would have better spent on both the diversity of voices in broadcasting in Canada and the digital economy.
"We have reviewed the Commission’s decision and are disappointed," said CACTUS spokesperson Catherine Edwards, in a statement. "Instead of establishing a community TV fund – equivalent to the Community Radio Fund that was established in 2008 – the money has instead gone to help cable companies pay their closed-captioning costs, or to another existing production fund of the cable company’s choice. We waited a year-and-a-half for a non-decision."
Edwards said that CACTUS was initially “excited” by the CRTC’s new community TV policy announced in 2010 when after capping cable community channels expenditures, it appeared as though 0.5% of cable revenues would become available for another purpose, such as its proposal of a fund to support community-administered channels.
"If we want to make sure communities have the means for self-expression with digital tools, communities must be accountable to communities”, Edwards added. “Cable companies cannot be made accountable to communities, unless the CRTC wants to micromanage them. This $30 million was an opportunity for the Commission to support the independent community licence class that it created back in 2001, when the problems with cable community channels first came to light. We can’t understand this decision."
