OTTAWA – The Canadian Association of Broadcasters has restructured so that the issues facing its members are looked at as a whole and not so much within the traditional silos of the industry.
Last November, CAB members faced a choice: Do nothing and watch the association drift and perhaps suffer the same fate as the former Canadian Cable Television Association (which disintegrated in 2006 partly because of the varied, competing, interests of its members); or work on altering and revitalizing the lobby group.
"A year ago, there clearly were two unspoken avenues for considering the future of the CAB. One was revitalizing it and one was not," CAB president and CEO Glenn O’Farrell told Cartt.ca. The members have spoken very strongly in favor of the revitalization approach (90%+).
And, the change was undertaken thanks to "the changing circumstances of the media marketplace," he said. "For years and years, the CAB operated as a sector-driven organization," where issues were attacked for and by each sector: radio, television or specialty and pay.
Those sector divisions no longer exist in the CAB’s structure. "We will now be more of an activity-based organization," explained O’Farrell. So, gone are the days where the radio group, television group and specialty and pay group each had their own copyright committee. Now there is just a single one as the group looks to tackle not every issue but instead are, "not unique to a sector, they are truly more applicable to all sectors," he added.
The CAB will concentrate on four areas:
1. Copyright
2. Advocacy and lobbying
3. Intelligence gathering
4. Collective administration
Almost everyone’s job has changed thanks to the new look. For example, former radio vice-president Pierre-Louis Smith is now VP policy and chief regulatory officer.
"We see ourselves very much responding to the environment of a media sector that is going through a profound change, driven by technology – where former silos no longer really exist any more and we have to work with those new realities," added O’Farrell. "Positions can no longer be taken based on the simple equations of the past. They are now complex, multifaceted economic equations that speak to the multiple interests that companies involved in the sector have to balance."
The association’s biggest challenge remains, however: "So, how does this industry-wide organization continue to be an effective voice for everybody?" asked the CEO.
While the main board of directors will be culled from 45 to 15, the radio, television and specialty & pay boards remain, in order to better represent all constituents, especially those members who still may only own one or a few assets within each sector.
