OTTAWA – The CRTC has revised the exemption order for terrestrial broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) serving fewer than 20,000 subscribers.
Effective immediately (and just in time for the new TV Service Provider Code to apply), the revised exemption order issued Thursday stipulates:
– future contributions to Canadian programming by BDUs eligible for exemption will be based on the previous year’s revenues rather than the current year’s revenues; the calculation of monthly contributions will be simplified; and the annual true-up of monthly contributions will be eliminated, while the true-up provision for the months of September through November will be maintained;
– all references to “contribution to local expression” are replaced with “contribution to community programming”;
– exempt undertakings that are related to licensed BDUs will be required to adhere to the Television Service Provider Code and to participate in the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services Inc., by 1 September 2017;
– the terms “video-on-demand service” and “pay-per-view service” are replaced with the term “on-demand service”; and
– the reference to “single point-of-view religious discretionary service” is removed as any relevant obligations on the part of these services are caught by the reference to “limited point-of-view religious discretionary service.
