OTTAWA – New media broadcasting undertakings affiliated with Canadian broadcasters must begin to report financial information to the CRTC starting next year.
After calling for comments on reporting requirements for new media broadcasting undertakings (NMBUs) back in February, the Commission said Friday that revenues and expenditures from NMBUs that are affiliates of licensed broadcasting undertakings will be sent out in the first quarter of 2011 for the 2009 broadcasting year, and will be required on an annual basis going forward.
An example of an affiliated NMBU would be Rogers On Demand Online, a broadband service in which Rogers Cable or Wireless customers can view television shows and movies via their PCs or mobile devices.
“The Commission considers that the ability to follow revenue trends and identify industry investment is critical in evaluating the importance of broadcasting in new media within the Canadian broadcasting system”, reads BRP 2010-582. “Furthermore, the Commission considers that the ability to assess the profitability of NMBUs is essential to understanding whether viable business models have become established in the new media environment. While it supports the use of third-party research, the Commission considers that specific details such as financial information must be obtained directly from NMBUs.”
The Commission also said that it will work with the industry to set up a New Media Reporting Working Group made up of representatives from both NMBUs and unaffiliated NMBUs, as well as associations representing content creators. The group will work to define new media reporting requirements as well as measurement tools and standards in the new media environment. Persons interested in participating in the NMRWG should submit their written request to do so to the Secretary General by August 31, 2010.
An unaffiliated NMBU would be a company like Netflix, which has said it will launch in Canada later this year.
In order to address privacy concerns, the CRTC said that it will publicly report information on an industry aggregate level of data collection. The Commission also said that it may decide to extend reporting requirements to unaffiliated NMBUs, both foreign and domestic, as the new media environment evolves.
