ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-444

Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-444

Ottawa, 13 December 2002

Saskatchewan Telecommunications
Regina, Saskatoon, Moose Jaw, Prince Albert, Yorkton, Estevan, Weyburn, Swift Current, North Battleford, White City and Pilot Butte, Saskatchewan

Application 2002-0634-3
Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2002-55
26 September 2002

Licence amendment

The Commission approves the application by Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) to amend the licence of its cable system serving the above-mentioned locations in order to relieve the licensee, by condition of licence, of certain requirements of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations and to allow SaskTel to distribute the English- and French-language versions of the House of Commons programming service as part of the basic service.

The application

1.

The Commission received an application by Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) to amend the licence of its cable system serving the above-mentioned locations in order to be relieved, by condition of licence, of the requirements of sections 17(1)(i) and (j) and sections 18(11.1)(c) and (d) of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations (the Regulations). These sections of the Regulations prescribe the manner in which a distributor must offer the House of Commons programming service. Instead, SaskTel proposes to distribute both the English- and French-language versions of the House of Commons programming service as part of the basic service.

2.

In Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2002-55, 26 September 2002, which announced the application, the Commission inadvertently included sections 18(11.2) and 33.3(1). These sections refer to the distribution of Canadian specialty services and not to the distribution of the House of Commons programming service.

3.

The Commission received an intervention by Access Communications Co-operative Limited (Access Communications) seeking assurance that the scope of SaskTel's application was limited to sections 17(1)(i) and (j) and 18(11.1)(c) and (d) of the Regulations.

4.

In its reply, SaskTel confirmed that it did not request exemption from sections 18(11.2) and 33.3(1) of the Regulations.

The Commission's analysis and conclusion

5.

As stated in The distribution of the proceedings of the House of Commons on CPAC, Public Notice CRTC 2001-115, 6 November 2001 (Public Notice 2001-115), the Commission recognizes the importance of ensuring access by all Canadians to the proceedings of the House of Commons and its various committees. In that notice, the Commission decided that the proceedings should be made available in both official languages to most cable subscribers across the country.

6.

Therefore, the Commission required, through amendments to the Regulations, that all Class 1 and Class 2 cable systems distribute, as part of their basic service, the proceedings of the House of Commons and its committees in the official language of the majority and a separate audio feed in the language of the minority on a SAP channel. SaskTel's proposal to distribute the English- and French-language versions of the House of Commons programming service as part of the basic service goes beyond the Commission's expectations as expressed in Public Notice 2001-115.

7.

Accordingly, the Commission approves the application by SaskTel to be relieved, by condition of licence, of the requirements of sections 17(1)(i) and (j) and section 18(11.1)(c) and (d) of the Regulations and requires, by condition of licence, that SaskTel distribute the English- and French-language versions of the House of Commons programming service as part of the basic service.

Secretary General