BANFF, ALBERTA--(CCNMatthews - June 11, 2006) - Beverley J. Oda,Minister of Canadian Heritage and Status of Women, speaking at theBanff World Television Festival, announced that the Government willask the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission(CRTC) to undertake a study of how continuing technological changesare expected to shape the entire broadcasting industry in the yearsahead.
"With the arrival of new technologies, the growth of the privatesector and the virtual explosion of choice on our airways, much haschanged in broadcasting," said Minister Oda. "This study willprovide the Government with crucial information to ensure that theCanadian broadcasting system as a whole remains responsive to theneeds and interests of all Canadians. This will help the Governmentas it sets broadcasting policy for the 21st century."
The CRTC will undertake a factual examination of the evolution ofaudio-video technologies (including television and radio), howcurrent and future generations of Canadians use those technologiesand their impact on the broadcasting system as a whole. "We want togain key insights into how changing technologies and usage patternswill affect all elements of the broadcasting sector, from public andprivate broadcasters to independent producers, from advertisers todistributors, and from creators to Canadian audiences," explained theMinister.
The Government is asking the CRTC to present its report byDecember 14, 2006. The Commission will determine the precise timingand procedures to be followed in this study. The CRTC is anindependent public authority vested with the authority to regulateand supervise, in the public interest, all aspects of the Canadianbroadcasting system.
An overview of the Canadian broadcasting system is provided in theattached backgrounders.________________________Backgrounder 1______________SECTION 15 OF THE BROADCASTING ACT - Section 15 of the Broadcasting Act is used to request that theCRTC hold hearings or report on issues, as determined by the Governorin Council, on any matter within the jurisdiction of the CRTC. - The CRTC is responsible for conducting the work, including anynecessary hearings, and issuing the reports to the Governor inCouncil. - This request is the ninth invocation of section 15 since 1991.The Government has requested such reports of the CRTC eight timesbefore, on various topics, including, in 1994, an examination of newcommunications technologies and the information highway.INVOCATIONS OF SECTION 15 OF THE BROADCASTING ACT SINCE ITSINTRODUCTION IN 1991---------------------------------------------------------------------Date____________ Subject---------------------------------------------------------------------October 1994____ Information Highway________________(done jointly with Industry Canada, under both s.15________________ of the Broadcasting Act and s.14 of the________________ Telecommunications Act)---------------------------------------------------------------------March 1995______ Fair and equitable access to cable television---------------------------------------------------------------------April 1997______ Possibility of new national Canadian television________________ networks---------------------------------------------------------------------August 1999______Possibility of a new French-language arts television________________ service---------------------------------------------------------------------April 2000______ French-language broadcasting services to French-________________ language minority communities---------------------------------------------------------------------September 2000__ Diversity in Toronto radio market---------------------------------------------------------------------October 2000____ Television services to reflect and meet the needs of________________ Greater Vancouver's multicultural, multilingual and________________ multiracial population---------------------------------------------------------------------June 2002________Request to clarify the regulatory environment________________ concerning Internet retransmission of broadcasting________________ signals in Canada---------------------------------------------------------------------________________________Backgrounder 2____________CANADIAN BROADCASTING SYSTEM - OVERVIEWCanada's broadcasting system is a mixed public-private systemcomprised of more than 600 private radio and television stations, anational public broadcaster, a myriad of community, campus,Aboriginal, English, French and third-language services and a widerange of foreign offerings. In 2004, the industry earned more than$13 billion in revenues and employed over 49,000 people.In setting out the objectives of the Canadian broadcast system, the1991 Broadcasting Act provides that Canada's broadcasting systemshould, among other things: - safeguard, enrich, and strengthen the cultural, political, social __ and economic fabric of Canada - encourage the development of Canadian expression - inform, enlighten and entertain Canadians of all ages, interests__ and tastes - be effectively owned and controlled by Canadians - offer programming drawn from local, regional, national and__ international sources - include educational and community programs - operate primarily in English and French - include a national public broadcaster, a single regulator, and a__ single system.---------------------------------------------------------------------TELEVISION - 511 English, 115 French and 53 third-language television services. - English-language specialty, pay and pay-per-view services:__ revenues close to $1.7 billion in 2004. - French-language private conventional stations: revenues of $422__ million in 2004. - French-language pay, pay-per-view and specialty services: revenues__ of $363 million in 2004.---------------------------------------------------------------------CABLE, WIRELESS & SATELLITE BROADCAST DISTRIBUTION UNITS---------------------------------------------------------------------Cable Systems________________________ 1,960---------------------------------------------------------------------Direct to Home (DTH)______________________2---------------------------------------------------------------------Multipoint Distribution Systems (MDS)____29---------------------------------------------------------------------Subscription TV Systems__________________12---------------------------------------------------------------------CONVENTIONAL, SPECIALTY, PAY, & PAY PER VIEW---------------------------------------------------------------------Private Commercial______________101 stations (74 English, 23 French &________________________________4 third-language)---------------------------------------------------------------------National Public Broadcaster____ 23 stations (15 English & 8 French)________________________________Northern services in English, French________________________________& 8 Aboriginal languages---------------------------------------------------------------------Educational____________________ 7 stations (4 English & 3 French)---------------------------------------------------------------------Native__________________________105 originating and re-broadcasting________________________________stations; 2 CRTC-licensed networks;________________________________Aboriginal Peoples Television Network______________________________ (APTN)---------------------------------------------------------------------Analog__________________________49 services (30 English, 14 French &________________________________5 third-language)---------------------------------------------------------------------Digital________________________ 76 Services (Category 1 - 15 English________________________________& 3 French; Category 2 - 40 English,________________________________1 French, & 17 third-language---------------------------------------------------------------------Pay____________________________ 12 services (5 English, 2 French & 5________________________________third-language)---------------------------------------------------------------------Pay Per View____________________11 services (9 English & 2 French)---------------------------------------------------------------------OTHER CANADIAN---------------------------------------------------------------------Community______________________ 235 channels (187 English & 48________________________________French)---------------------------------------------------------------------Foreign Satellite Services______135 services (82 English, 7 French &________________________________46 third-language)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RADIO - 1,158 radio services (867 English, 253 French and 38 third-__ language). - Canadian private radio stations: revenues over $1.2 billion in__ 2004.---------------------------------------------------------------------PRIVATE---------------------------------------------------------------------AM Stations____________________ 195 (169 English, 18 French & 8________________________________third-language)---------------------------------------------------------------------FM Stations____________________ 407 (318 English, 80 French & 9________________________________third-language---------------------------------------------------------------------Digital________________________ 58 (42 English, 9 French & 7 third-________________________________language)---------------------------------------------------------------------Satellite______________________ 2 (Sirius Canada and XM Radio Canada)---------------------------------------------------------------------PUBLIC---------------------------------------------------------------------CBC Radio Networks______________4 (Radio One, Radio Two, Premiere________________________________chaine, Espace musique)________________________________78 originating stations (50 English________________________________and 28 French)---------------------------------------------------------------------CBC Digital____________________(Radio One / Premiere chaine & Radio________________________________Two / Espace musique)________________________________18 originating stations (10 English &________________________________8 French)---------------------------------------------------------------------Radio Canada International______Available via short-wave, satellite &________________________________the Internet---------------------------------------------------------------------COMMUNITY______________________ 90 stations (38 English, 51 French &________________________________1 third-language)---------------------------------------------------------------------CAMPUS__________________________53 stations (47 English & 6 French)---------------------------------------------------------------------NATIVE__________________________45 stations (39 English/Native and 6________________________________French)---------------------------------------------------------------------RELIGIOUS______________________ 60 stations (34 English, 25 French &________________________________1 third-language)---------------------------------------------------------------------Source:__CRTC Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report 2005; CRTC Public________ Notice April 2006.
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