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Ottawa, 8 December 1993
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Public Notice CRTC 1993-172
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Call for Comments - Home Shopping/"Infomercial" Services
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Background
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On 3 June 1993, the CRTC issued Public Notice CRTC 1993-77 entitled "Call for Applications for Licences to Carry on New Canadian Specialty, Pay Television and Pay-Per-View Programming Undertakings".
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In response to this call, a number of applications were submitted, including several proposing home shopping and/or "infomercial" services. Subsequently, two of the applications in this particular category were deemed to be in complete pursuant to the terms of Public Notice CRTC 1993-77-1, and were returned to the applicants.
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The Commission considers that the remaining applications falling into this category of service raise fundamental questions of how the licensing of any such proposal would meet the principles and objectives detailed in Public Notice CRTC 1993-77. The Commission has informed the applicants concerned that their applications will not be considered at the 14 February 1994 licensing hearing.
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Call for Comments
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Under subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act, the Commission is empowered to exempt from licensing and other requirements, persons carrying on broadcasting undertakings of classes specified by the Commission. The Commission hereby calls for comments regarding whether, and under what circumstances, those proposing to carry on undertakings offering home shopping and/or infomercial services should be exempted from licensing requirements. Following its consideration of the comments received, the Commission will determine whether to issue an exemption order or to schedule such applications for consideration at a future licensing hearing. If required, this hearing would take place in 1994.
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Issues
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To assist in its examination, the Commission seeks comments on the following questions:
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1. Is the nature of home shopping and/or infomercial programming such that the licensing of persons carrying on undertakings providing these types of services is required in order to ensure that they meet the general principles and objectives set out in section 3 of the Broadcasting Act, or should the Commission consider creating an exempt class for such persons, pursuant to subsection 9(4) of the Broadcasting Act?
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2. If the Commission were to create an exempt class for such persons,
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a) what specific criteria should be established to define the characteristics of such an exempt class?
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b) for the purposes of cable distribution, what priority, if any, should the Commission grant services provided by persons falling within the exempt class?
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The Commission encourages all those responding to this call for comments to provide their views on each of the issues raised in this notice. Those wishing to submit comments must send such comments to the CRTC, Ottawa, K1A 0N2 by 8 February 1994.
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Secretary General
Allan J. Darling
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