The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
today launched the third phase of Let’s Talk TV: A Conversation with
Canadians. This phase will feature a public hearing on the future of the
television system starting on September 8, 2024, in the National Capital
Region.
The CRTC intends to explore a number of changes to the television system
to meet the current and future needs of Canadians as citizens, creators
and consumers. In establishing a new approach for the television system,
the CRTC will seek to ensure that the television system:
• fosters choice and flexibility in selecting programs
• encourages the creation of compelling and diverse content made by
Canadians, and
• empowers Canadians to make informed choices.
Fostering choice and flexibility
To ensure the television system fosters choice and flexibility, the CRTC
is proposing that the basic television package that all subscribers
receive be slimmed down and get back to basic. The new, slimmed-down
package would consist of Canadian local television stations, channels of
public interest that must currently be distributed to all subscribers
(such as the Cable Public Affairs Channel and the Aboriginal Peoples
Television Network), provincial educational channels, community channels
and the services operated by provincial legislatures.
For all other services, Canadians would have three options: (1) they could
choose channels on an individual basis (also known as pick-and-pay); (2)
build their own packages of pay and specialty channels (also known as
build-your-own-package); or (3) choose from packages that are
pre-determined by cable and satellite companies.
This proposed approach to foster more choice and flexibility is at the
centre of the CRTC’s report to the Government of Canada, which was also
released today. In November 2024, knowing that the CRTC was reviewing its
framework for television, the Government asked for a report on the steps
the CRTC intends to take to maximize the ability to subscribe on a
service-by-service basis, and on the impact this could potentially have on
the objectives set out in the Broadcasting Act.
Promoting Canadian-made content
To ensure the television system encourages the creation of compelling and
diverse Canadian programs, the CRTC will explore new ways to ensure local
television stations remain sustainable. The CRTC will also study various
measures to support programs made by Canadians.
The CRTC will examine whether it should eliminate simultaneous
substitution, which is the practice of replacing the signal of an American
channel with that of a Canadian channel that is broadcasting the same
program at the same time. In recent years, the CRTC has received numerous
complaints from Canadians due to substitution errors, particularly during
live sports events such as the Super Bowl.
If simultaneous substitution were no longer permitted, Canadian
broadcasters may have more flexibility to schedule and promote Canadian
shows, especially in prime time, rather than having their schedules tied
to those of the American broadcasters.
Furthermore, the CRTC will explore whether an audience-measurement system
that would draw information from cable set-top boxes should be created.
Such a system could assist the Canadian television industry in responding
more effectively to the changing needs and interests of viewers, while
protecting their privacy.
Empowering Canadians
Canada’s television system should empower Canadians to make informed
choices and provide recourse in the case of disputes with their service
providers. To this end, the CRTC will consider whether guidelines to
promote greater clarity in contracts, as well as the terms regarding the
cancellation of a subscription, are needed.
The CRTC will also discuss whether it should introduce a code of conduct
for cable and satellite companies and whether an ombudsman should be made
available to Canadians to help resolve disputes.
Canadians are invited to share their views on these topics, as well as the
others set out in the notice of consultation
(http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2014/2014-190.htm), by June 25, 2024.
Canadians are also encouraged to indicate whether they wish to appear at
the public hearing.
The CRTC will also host an online discussion forum for Canadians during
the public hearing in September 2024.