Broadcasting Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-28-1

PDF Version

Other reference: 2010-28

Ottawa, 10 December 2010

Changes to certain practices for filing interventions – Expansion of filing practices to include the filing of joint supporting comments for broadcasting policy proceedings

In the present information bulletin, the Commission announces that parties may now file joint supporting comments in the context of broadcasting policy proceedings, and sets out a revised covering letter template for this purpose.

Introduction

1.      In Changes to certain practices for filing interventions, Broadcasting Information Bulletin CRTC 2010-28, 20 January 2010 (Broadcasting Information Bulletin 2010-28), the Commission announced a new practice permitting applicants, on behalf of interveners who do not request to appear at a public hearing, to coordinate and organize interventions in support of their applications into a joint supporting submission. This change streamlined the Commission’s processes and permitted a list of names of interveners filed in this manner to be posted on the Commission’s website. This new practice did not apply to broadcasting policy proceedings, but, as indicated in Broadcasting Information Bulletin 2010-28, was limited to interventions filed with respect to broadcasting applications announced in notices of consultation relating to both “Applications Received” and “Notices of Hearing.”

2.      Given the success of the practice set out in Broadcasting Information Bulletin 2010-28, the Commission considers that it is now appropriate to extend a similar practice to comments filed in the context of broadcasting policy proceedings.

Filing joint supporting comments

3.      Parties to a Commission proceeding where a notice of consultation has been issued for a broadcasting policy proceeding may coordinate and organize comments that are in support of their position into a joint supporting submission.

4.      The joint supporting comments must be dated after the date of the related notice of consultation and must be submitted to the Commission by the filing deadline established in that notice of consultation. Further, the joint supporting submission must include the following:

• the supporting comments;

• a list setting out the names of persons filing the supporting comments (the list);

• a statement that the persons on the list have requested that the party submit the comments on their behalf and that these persons have been informed that their personal information will be posted on the Commission’s website as part of the record of the proceeding; and

• a confirmation that no person named on the list is requesting to appear at the hearing.

5.      For convenience, the Commission has set out a revised template for the accompanying cover letter to be filed by the party. This revised template should be used in the case of both application and policy hearings. The template is attached as an appendix to the present information bulletin and is also made available on the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca under “Public Proceedings.”

6.      The Commission prefers that parties submit, electronically by web form or fax, the cover letter accompanied by their joint supporting interventions/comments. If parties file their entire submission electronically, it will be placed on the Commission’s website.

7.      However, the Commission will continue to permit parties to file the list of names along with the joint supporting interventions/comments by hardcopy. In this instance, the Commission intends to place only the list of names (i.e., the cover sheet) on its website, since the attached joint supporting interventions/comments will not have been provided to the Commission electronically.

8.      The Commission notes that persons wishing to appear at a public hearing in support of a particular application or position must file an intervention individually in accordance with the procedure set out in the corresponding notice of consultation.

Secretary General