Shaw lobbying federal officials ahead of CRTC TV review

Shaw Communications Inc. is stepping up its lobbying ahead of the CRTC’s Let’s Talk TV hearing in September, meeting with various MPs in their ridings as well senior public servants in Ottawa over the last month. Shaw reported the second-most communications with public office holders in July, the federal lobbyist registry shows, with 11, all on the subject of broadcasting, though some dealt with telecommunications as well. The cable and Internet provider trailed only the Mining Association of Canada, which reported 12 communications. Shaw is preparing for the CRTC hearings on the future of the Canadian television system, set to begin Sept. 8 in Gatineau, Que. Shaw president Peter Bissonnette, who’s responsible for the company’s regulatory affairs, said Shaw has been gearing up for the hearing over the summer. “That’s pretty well my sole focus right now, first of all getting the submission in and then … meeting with various MPs in their ridings to get a sense from them what they’re hearing from their constituents,” he said in an interview this month. In July, Shaw reported communications with 10 Conservative MPs, including National Revenue Minister Kerry-Lynne Findlay and Minister of State for Finance Kevin Sorenson. Bissonnette was in Ottawa earlier this month for meetings with outgoing Privy Council clerk Wayne Wouters and other senior public servants at Canadian Heritage, Foreign Affairs and the PCO. Shaw officials have also reported more August communications with Conservative and NDP MPs. “We have a much more formal government outreach process now and it’s been actively engaged through the summer,” Bissonnette said. Shaw has had a more robust lobbying presence throughout the first eight months of 2014, reporting 61 communications so far this year, as of last week. That number already outpaces its lobbying in any other year. The other television distributors haven’t been as active this summer, with BCE Inc. reporting a single meeting in July on the subject of “broadcasting” with NDP consumer affairs critic Glenn Thibeault. Rogers Communications Inc., Telus Corp., Quebecor Inc. and Cogeco Cable Inc. didn’t report any meetings related to broadcasting last month. The CRTC proposed in April that television providers be required to allow viewers to choose the channels they want beyond a basic package of local, over-the-air channels, as well as public interest channels such as CPAC and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, and community channels. In its submission for the Let’s Talk TV hearings, Shaw opposed the commission’s proposal. “Removing discretionary services from the basic service will merely result in a decrease in the value of the service. Given the significant capital investments and other costs, there will be little downward impact on the price of the small basic service,” Shaw’s submission said. The commission’s pick-and-pay proposal would harm TV distributors, broadcasters, producers and advertisers, Shaw said, and lead to consumers paying more for less. The Conservative government has made consumer choice in television a priority. The 2013 throne speech said: “Canadian families should be able to choose the combination of television channels they want. It will require channels to be unbundled, while protecting Canadian jobs.” The government issued an order-in-council in November for the CRTC look into the potential impact of moving to a pick-and-pay regime. Shaw is lobbying on “broadcasting policy that takes account the consumer-driven competitive environment, including competition from licensed and unlicensed sources, in the context of the Governor-in-Council November 2013 direction to the CRTC to report on television channel choice,” according to its lobbying registration. Shaw is also looking to launch an all-news channel, Global News 1, which, like Quebecor’s Sun News Network, would have to be offered by TV service providers. The channel would differentiate itself from competitors CBC and CTV by using content from its local Global TV stations across the country to offer “uniquely local reflection,” and by helping to support local programming, its submission said. — With reporting by Mark Burgess at mburgess@hilltimes.com and Simon Doyle at sdoyle@thewirereport.caand editing by Derek Abma at dabma@thewirereport.ca This is an edited version of a story originally published in The Hill Times on Aug. 25. For more exclusive coverage of federal politics and the federal government, go to www.hilltimes.com.

Shaw lobbying federal officials ahead of CRTC TV review

Broadcast | August 25, 2014

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Shaw lobbying federal officials ahead of CRTC TV review

Broadcast | August 25, 2014

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