CRTC consulting on broadcasters’ request for emergency relief

The CRTC Thursday launched a consultation on a request submitted by the Canadian Association of Broadcasters in mid-July that asked for emergency regulatory relief to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CAB asked the regulator to introduce a policy of “deemed compliance” — meaning that, unless the companies acted in bad faith, the CRTC would treat them as if they had complied with their licence conditions for the 2019-2020 broadcast year, regardless of their Canadian content expenditure levels. The group also asked for flexibility on other regulatory requirements, such as rules about the amount of local programming that has to be broadcast, and to suspend rules regarding sales and operational support for radio stations. In its response, the CRTC said that though the CAB submitted a Part 1 application, the regulator chose to launch a full consultation instead because of the potential impact those measures could have on other players in the broadcast system. “In considering the CAB’s application, the Commission is mindful that, in its regulatory activities, it must balance what are often divergent interests of multiple stakeholders. For instance, many of the financial requirements that are the subject of the flexibilities sought by the CAB represent important elements of funding for Canadian audio and audio-visual programming. Such funding directly benefits Canada’s creative and artistic communities, which have themselves also experienced deep negative impacts from the pandemic,” the CRTC said. It said any potential relief it grants can’t negatively affect accessibility or emergency alerts, while “any flexibilities that could be considered in regard to spending or other requirements in relation to news must ensure, to the extent possible, that the same depth and breadth of information currently provided to Canadians by Canadian broadcasters is maintained.” The CRTC said its preliminary view is that the “deemed compliance” the CAB asked for may not be appropriate, and suggested instead spreading obligations over a longer period of time. Interventions are due Oct. 19.

CRTC consulting on broadcasters’ request for emergency relief

Brief | September 17, 2020

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CRTC consulting on broadcasters’ request for emergency relief

Brief | September 17, 2020

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