OTTAWA – Super Channel will have some explaining to do before the CRTC will renew its broadcasting licence.
The channel’s parent, Allarco Entertainment Limited Partnership, is one of seven entities whose applications will be considered at hearing at CRTC headquarters scheduled for July 11, 2019.
Since Allarco’s renewal application was published for comment, the CRTC said that it has received interventions that raised issues regarding instances of apparent non-compliance, ranging from the distribution of Canadian programs, the eligibility and late payment of certain Canadian programming expenditures, to the eligibility of certain expenditures devoted to regional outreach programs.
“The Commission is particularly concerned about the manner in which the licensee interprets its regulatory obligations set out in Super Channel’s conditions of licence, as well as in the Commission’s policies and regulations to which the licensee is subject,” reads Friday’s notice of hearing. “Given the nature of the apparent instances of non-compliance and the fact that the licensee was found in severe non-compliance at its last licence renewal, the Commission intends to consider the renewal of the broadcasting licence for Super Channel as part of the present proceeding.”
The CRTC added that measures to address the non-compliance could include one or more of the following:
- imposing new conditions of licence;
- imposing a short-term renewal;
- imposing a mandatory order under section 12 of the Broadcasting Act (the Act) requiring the licensee to comply with the Discretionary Services Regulations and its conditions of licence;
- non-renewal of the licence; and,
- suspending or revoking the licence pursuant to sections 9 and 24 of the Act.
