CAMBRIDGE, ON – The CRTC must move beyond its traditional “gatekeeper” approach to broadcasting to one that offers more flexibility and ensures “that the players in the broadcasting industry have all the oxygen they need to make the system flourish”, according to the Commission’s broadcasting vice-chair, Tom Pentefountas.
In a speech at the annual Broadcasting Invitational Summit in Cambridge late last week, Pentefountas advocated for a “less dogmatic approach to regulation” that takes advantage of "innovation from both the business and creative communities”.
“The Regulator should lay out the lines of the big picture, and leave it to the members of the industry to make the actual choices within that big picture”, he said. “We are not here to micro-manage your businesses. That should be left to those who have their shareholders' money on the line.”
Pentefountas cited the CRTC's recent French-language television licence renewals as a good example of this lighter-handed approach to regulation.
“Francophone viewers have always demanded a lot of home-grown material in French. Broadcasters have always been ready to deliver it. And we're confident that they'll continue to deliver it because of its continuing popularity”, he added. “So we don't feel the need to dictate to them exactly how to go about meeting their obligations. We're happy to allow them more flexibility to serve their viewers as they see fit. This approach reflects economic realities and past levels of achievement.”
With a year in this role now under his belt, Pentefountas said that despite diverse and often conflicting interests, broadcasting stakeholders should strive to "not make enemies of one another”.
“Extreme positions of any kind do no good, whether it's an insistence on every last penny from the business side or unrealistic demands from creative unions”, he continued. “These are challenging times and we have a lot of tough issues to deal with. I am confident that we can come to reasonable and balanced solutions.”
– Lesley Hunter
