OTTAWA – The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage begins its study of “the impacts of private television ownership changes and the move towards new viewing platforms,” today in Ottawa and will hear first from CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein and a group of independent Canadian broadcasters this afternoon.
Watch for the CRTC chairman (who will be joined by acting vice-chair, broadcasting, Rita Cugini and executive director, broadcasting, Scott Hutton) to speak to the recent merger announcements as well as the proceeding just called into the very same topic about which MPs will be grilling the Regulator’s representatives this afternoon.
As for the Independent Broadcast Group, Zoomermedia’s Bill Roberts, Stornoway Communications’ Martha Fusca, TV5’s Suzanne Gouin and their lawyer Joel Fortune will be telling the politicians just how difficult it is to be an independent broadcaster in a vertically integrated world.
They will warn members of the committee of the dominant power the distributors have as gatekeepers, both in the regulated and unregulated (Internet, mobile) spaces and how much their companies mean to the diversity of media voices in Canada.
Newcap Broadcasting’s Mike Keller will also address the committee today.
Click here to listen to the webcast beginning at 3:30 p.m. Or read all about it tomorrow as Cartt.ca has a reporter covering this meeting as well as next week’s session when CTV, Bell Canada, Rogers Communications and Telus are all scheduled to appear.
