OTTAWA – Michel Morin wrapped up his five year term as CRTC Commissioner this week with an extensive note to Commission staff highlighting his many accomplishments and contributions to the Regulator, as well as to the broadcasting and telecom system.
Morin, a former Radio-Canada broadcaster who holds the distinction of penning the longest minority opinion written to date (over 50 pages), and who often proved himself quite the contrarion when on a hearing panel, wrote that he believes that he was successful in being true to the following four main principles:
– The importance of adapting the regulatory framework to take better account of consumer choice;
– The need to deregulate the Canadian broadcasting system, after 44 years of CRTC rule, to allow companies the freedom to run their businesses as they wish and be able to adapt more easily to changes that occur in the market;
– A regulatory environment that promotes competition among companies to offer consumers greater choice and better prices; and
– Transparency without compromise, in both Commission decisions and public processes.
“(T)hese past 60 months have given me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge of the Canadian broadcasting system and broadcasting in general, and while I mostly expressed minority opinions, I am none the less respectful of this great house that is the CRTC”, he wrote before detailing several “important examples” of recent Commission decisions that he says “bear my imprint”.
Morin added that his one regret is that the Canadian Broadcasting Regulatory Handbook for 2012 is still over 900 pages long – “I do not think this makes our system particularly transparent!”, he quipped.
“I remain convinced that to remain competitive, the Canadian system will have to secure greater consumer choice. This is a necessary condition of its survival”, he concluded. “Like in the Olympics, or in hockey, we need diversity, and with the help of market forces we need to promote it. Essentially, this is the modern mandate for a regulatory body which puts Canadian content at the forefront.”
