OTTAWA – With nothing happening in the marketplace to inform Canadians that they will no longer be able to get an off-air TV signal without some new digital gear come August 31, 2011, the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage has called CRTC officials to appear before it on Monday.
Executive director of broadcasting, Scott Hutton, ED policy development and research Namir Anani and senior general counsel John Keogh are scheduled to appear.
Canadian broadcasters have been told by the CRTC to get cracking on letting Canadians know that for most of them, their analog TVs with rabbit ears will receive nothing soon. As well, the federal government has said the deadline for broadcasters to abandon the 700 MHz spectrum won’t change.
Analog TV broadcasters along the Canada-U.S. border in markets, and with more than 300,000 people (as well all provincial and territorial capitals) must vacate the spectrum they are currently using in 188 days, according to the Cartt.ca digital deadline clock.
Just last week, CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein called on the broadcasters to hurry up and act already and that the Commission will soon be issuing regulations regarding the messages broadcasters will be required to air, including specific contents of the message as well as frequency of the public service announcements.
The committee meeting is set for the 28th at 3:30.
