Indemnification, liability, control of emergency system sticking points for Pelmorex, broadcasters

By Perry Hoffman

GATINEAU - Without indemnifying broadcasters and distributors and limiting their legal liability, ongoing development of a national emergency alerting system may be at risk, the CRTC’s hearing on Pelmorex Communications Inc.’s licence renewal heard this week.But Commission chair Konrad von Finckenstein (a former judge) suggested that the whole liability issue may in fact be a red herring. David Townsend, a professor in the Faulty of Law at the University of New Brunswick, who was appearing with the Canadian Association for Public Alerting and Notification (CAPAN), agreed. “It’s overblown, but when parties are refusing to participate and really help the public...