OTTAWA – Today’s decision by the CRTC to renew and approve new television programming broadcasters for mandatory distribution represents a step forward in making television services accessible and affordable for Canadians, said consumer rights group the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).
“The CRTC’s decision today ensures that Canadians’ essential interests are well served by basic television services in Canada. The Commission has also heard the consumer interest in keeping rates low in approving these channels,” said PIAC executive director John Lawford in a release.
PIAC appeared before the CRTC at its mandatory distribution hearing in April, where it supported a number of applications from cable service programmers that included Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), Canal M, Cable Public Affairs Channel (CPAC), AMI-tv, AMI-audio, the Legislative Assemblies of Nunvut and the Northwest Territories, ARTV, and AMI-tv Français.
“We are happy that the CRTC set wholesale rates for basic broadcasting services that Canadians can afford,” said Lawford.
PIAC represented the Consumers’ Association of Canada (CAC), Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia (COSCO), and National Pensioners and Senior Citizens Federation (NPSCF) before the CRTC at the hearing.
