TV, basic services, payphones among CRTC’s upcoming priorities

For the coming year, CRTC has prioritized issues including the ongoing review of Canada’s television-broadcasting system and looking into what telecommunications services should be accessible to all as well as determining how important a role payphones still play in people’s lives. The commission’s three-year plan was released Wednesday. At least one issue, the ongoing Let’s Talk TV Review, is expected to advance in the coming days, given the April 30 deadline for the CRTC to present a report to the federal government on the feasibility of unbundling TV service. “The activities we intend to carry out in the shorter term include holding a public consultation on the television system and initiating a review of the basic telecommunications services required by Canadians to participate fully in the digital economy,” CRTC Chairman Jean-Pierre Blais said in an introductory message in the three-year plan, which was posted online. In listing its priorities for the 2014-15 fiscal year, which started April 1, the CRTC noted that it intends to have a formal policy review and public hearing on regulation of the TV-broadcasting industry. It said over the next year it would also issue decisions relating to that process and begin implementing changes that are deemed beneficial. In 2015-16, the CRTC will continue implementing changes in the TV regime, and create new regulations and licence conditions to reflect any alterations, it said. The commission said it would monitor the effectiveness of the new TV regime in 2016-17. The commission added that it would respond to the government's request for a report on pick-and-pay TV by the end of this month. Among the many other priorities noted, the CRTC’s plans for the coming year include “a comprehensive review to determine what services (e.g. voice and broadband) are required by all Canadians to fully participate in the digital economy and whether there should be changes to the subsidy regime and national contribution mechanism.” A public hearing on the issue of basic services will be held some time in 2015-16, and if the regulator finds action is needed, it would happen in the year after that, the report said. Among the other items noted in the CRTC’s three-year plan is the regulator’s intention to release the results of a fact-finding exercise that looked into “the current role payphones play in the Canadian communications system, including the extent to which Canadians rely on payphones, and the effects, if any, that further payphone removals and possible rate increases may have on Canadians.” Finishing a commercial-radio review, looking into wholesale network services in both the wireline and wireless sectors, and identifying “systematic non-compliance issues” with regard to the wireless code that was introduced last year are also on the agenda for the coming year. The CRTC gave status updates on what it had prioritized last year, which also included things such as reviews of TV and radio broadcasting. The CRTC indicated that every item on its list for 2013-14 was “completed” or “ongoing” except for one item on reviewing its cultural-diversity policy, which it marked as “not completed.” The commission said a review of this was initiated and put on hold because of the TV review. Its three-year plan indicates it intends to get back into reviewing is cultural-diversity policy in 2015-16, a directive that “seeks to ensure that the Canadian broadcasting system, through both programming and employment opportunities, serves the needs and interests, and reflects the circumstances and aspirations of all Canadians, celebrating and recognizing the diversity of Canadian society.” Research that year is to be followed up by a fact-finding exercise in 2016-17, the plan said. With reporting by Derek Abma at dabma@thewirereport.ca and editing by Peter Henderson phenderson@thewirereport.ca

TV, basic services, payphones among CRTC’s upcoming priorities

Broadcast | April 23, 2014

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TV, basic services, payphones among CRTC’s upcoming priorities

Broadcast | April 23, 2014

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