OTTAWA – The CRTC began using a using a harmonized set of rules on Friday to process the majority of its broadcasting and telecommunications applications, and to guide public participation in its proceedings.
Commission chair Konrad von Finckenstein said in a statement that the new rules of practice and procedure offer “an opportunity to modernize and simplify our procedural rules, as well as ensure they reflect a converged communications industry”.
After reviewing its service standards, the Commission established new objectives for both sectors, and aims to publish decisions within the following time frames:
– Proceedings initiated by the CRTC as a result of a Part 1 application broadcasting applications considered at a public hearing will be issued within four months from the close of the public record;
– Broadcasting applications that do not require a public process will have a decision issued within one month from the date of receipt of a complete application;
– Ownership-related applications requiring a public hearing (broadcasting and telecommunications) will have all decisions issued within 35 days from the close of the public record;
– Ownership-related applications requiring written comments solicited through a notice of consultation (broadcasting only) will have decisions issued within two months from the close of the public record; and
– Ownership-related applications administrative process (broadcasting only) will have decisions issued within two months from the date of receipt of a complete application.
The Commission said that it will use the close of the public record to measure its service results, evaluate its performance in meeting the service objectives annually, and will post the results on its website.
“I am confident that this initiative will not only improve the processing of applications, but foster a more predictable regulatory environment”, von Finckenstein added.
