CRTC dismisses CEP's local programming complaint against Canwest

OTTAWA – The CRTC has dismissed a complaint against Canwest Media made by the Communications, Energy and Paperworks Union (CEP), alleging that Canwest breached local programming commitments, and the Commission’s policy on local advertising. CEP filled its first complaint in November 2007, saying that Canwest’s decision to shift elements of local program production from its television stations to broadcast centres in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto, would “contravene its obligations with respect to the broadcast of local programming”. Saying the local stations would effectively “operate as rebroadcasting transmitters” and “unlicensed broadcasting distribution undertakings”, it also questioned whether allowing Canwest to collect...