GATINEAU – Following up on a federal government request made this summer, the CRTC said today it will look into broadcasting services offered to French- and English-language communities in a minority situation.
The Commission will hold a public hearing on this matter starting on January 13, 2009.
In its public call for comments today, the CRTC is asking Canadians to share their views on a number of specific questions relating to:
* The availability and quality of French- and English-language broadcasting services in French and English linguistic minority communities
* The challenge of providing, in those communities, broadcasting services in both official languages and their availability across all broadcasting platforms and distribution systems, and
* Measures to encourage and facilitate access to the widest range of broadcasting services in both official languages in French and English linguistic minority communities in Canada.
This hearing is being conducted further to a request by the government, in June 2008, asking the Regulator to report on the French-language broadcasting services in markets with an English-speaking majority, and English-language broadcasting services where French is spoken by the majority.
The Commission was also asked to identify the challenges facing these communities from a broadcasting perspective.
Interested parties must submit their comments by November 20th and after the hearing, the CRTC will submit its report on or before March 31, 2009.
