OTTAWA-GATINEAU – Despite the fact the CRTC is set to take a new look at fee-for-carriage for local broadcasters in a hearing this November, Minister of Heritage James Moore today announced that the Government of Canada issued an Order-in-Council requesting the Commission “hold hearings and provide the government with a report on the implications of implementing a compensation regime for the value of local television signals, more commonly known as fee-for-carriage.”
The CRTC, says the government’s release “is to consider the views of the general public regarding the impact of such a measure. By making this request of the CRTC, the Government is providing leadership to ensure that Canadians have access to programming at affordable rates.”
(Ed note: The Commission has already heard from thousands of Canadians on the issue heading into the public hearing set to start two months from tomorrow. However, that hearing may now be in doubt, depending on how this federal demand is handled.)
"Our Government has a record of putting consumers first," said Minister Moore in the press release. "When it comes to the broadcasting system, our stance is no different. That is why we’ve directed the CRTC to consider what fee-for-carriage would mean for Canadians, because this is an issue that affects them directly."
Says the Heritage release:
“In its consultation on fee-for-carriage, the CRTC must take into account:
– Its impact on consumers, and in particular, the impact on affordable access to a variety of local and regional news, information and public affairs programming; and
– How the application of such a regime would impact the various components of the communications industry as it adapts to the new digital environment, and in particular, the implications on current and emerging business models.”
"It is clear that Canada’s communications system is undergoing a period of unprecedented change,” added Moore. “This is an opportunity for the CRTC and the broadcasting industry to look to the future, to find innovative solutions, always with the consumer in mind," concluded Minister Moore.
This request to the CRTC has been made pursuant to section 15 of the Broadcasting Act, under which the Governor-in-Council can request the CRTC hold hearings or make reports.
