OTTAWA – CBC/Radio-Canada released the details of its plan for the transition to digital over-the-air television today.
The transition to digital television, whose deadline is 390 days away, is an industry wide issue requiring a concerted effort by all players – broadcasters, the CRTC, and government – to ensure that Canadians are properly informed of the changes coming and how to deal with them.
So far, the industry has produced little when it comes to ensuring Canadians are properly informed, so this plan is a welcome, if late and small, beginning.
CBC/Radio-Canada will be installing digital transmitters in all of the markets in which it produces original television programming, the public broadcaster said, for a total of 27 transmitters. Fifteen of the 27 transmitters will be operational by August 2011, with the remaining twelve to be operational by or before August 2012. The locations of these transmitters are now available on CBC/Radio-Canada’s web site.
The Corp will continue to offer analog service beyond the August 31, 2011 shut-off date established by government in all markets not identified by the CRTC as mandatory for digital transmission (all communities with a population of 300,000 or higher plus all provincial and territorial capitals). It’s also filed a request to the CRTC to allow a temporary extension of analog service in those markets not slated for transition until after the August 2011 deadline under the Corporation’s plan.
However both government and the CRTC have been saying all along that the deadline is not a flexible one.
"We believe that our plan is appropriate given our financial challenges, given our mandate, and given industry trends," said Steven Guiton, vice-president and chief regulatory officer, in the press release. "When all is said and done, our estimate is that less than 1% of Canadians will need to turn to a cable or satellite provider in order to continue receiving our signal."
The Broadcasting Act mandates that CBC/Radio-Canada’s services "be made available throughout Canada by the most appropriate and efficient means, as resources become available for the purpose."
“Today, Canadians receive CBC/Radio-Canada’s television services through a variety of platforms including over-the-air, cable, satellite and the Internet. The plan to transition to over-the-air digital television in key markets will support the modernization of CBC/Radio-Canada’s multi-platform delivery system and enable the Corporation to continue providing Canadians with high-quality content through the most appropriate and efficient means available,” reads the release.
The CBC/Radio-Canada’s digital TV transition plan is available here.
