ARCHIVED - Procedural Letter
This page has been archived on the Web
Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. Archived Decisions, Notices and Orders (DNOs) remain in effect except to the extent they are amended or reversed by the Commission, a court, or the government. The text of archived information has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Changes to DNOs are published as “dashes” to the original DNO number. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards. As per the Communications Policy of the Government of Canada, you can request alternate formats by contacting us.
Please acknowledge receipt of this letter by return e-mail.
Ottawa, 22 May 2012
Ms. Erika Kramer
Vice-President, Distribution Services
Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVO)
2180 Yonge Street, Box 200, Station Q
Toronto, Ontario M4T 2T1
Re: Request of the Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVO) with respect to decommissioning of its analog television rebroadcasting transmitters in the province of Ontario (application 2012-0566-7)
Dear Ms. Kramer,
In order to process the application for the decommissioning of analog rebroadcasting transmitters owned by the Ontario Educational Communications Authority (TVO), the Commission requires the following information:
1. Please refer to schedule 1 of the application by TVO. Please identify the transmitters that currently broadcast, in whole or in part, the signal of the Office des télécommunications éducatives de langue française de l’Ontario (OTÉLFO, known as TFO).
2. Provide a list of communities affected by the application, including an estimate of the population and the number of households located within the regional service contour. Where applicable, please include the same information for the official language minority communities (OLMCs) that would be affected by the withdrawal of TFO’s analog signal.
3. Does TVO have estimates as to how many people in the areas currently served by the transmitters would lose the signal due to the fact that they do not subscribe to a service provided by a broadcasting distribution undertaking (BDU)?
4. Please provide, for a 3-year horizon following the shutting down of the transmitters listed in the application, the forecasted annual impact on TVO revenues along with the underlying assumptions.
5. Please provide the annual costs of operating each transmitter targeted for shutdown (such as maintenance/repair costs) and provide a breakdown of such costs. Please comment on the remaining life expectancy of the transmitters targeted for shutdown.
6. Please describe the potential impact to BDUs of the proposed change (e.g., increased signal transport costs), if approved. Further, please describe how exempt systems will receive the TVO/TFO’s signals, including associated costs.
7. Does TVO plan to undertake an information campaign for Canadians residing in the affected markets? If so, describe the campaign, including any portion to be undertaken in conjunction with TFO, and specify the start date and the duration. Has TVO consulted TFO regarding an information campaign for OLMCs? Have consultations taken place with OLMCs? If so, what were the results of these consultations? If not, will consultations take place, and when?
8. Describe any alternative solutions that were considered and those that are being undertaken to maintain a similar television service in the areas currently served by the transmitters listed in schedule 1 of the application. For example, are there plans or discussions with Shaw on the possibility of using the “local television satellite solution” (Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2010-782) to continue to serve affected communities, including OLMCs? If not, please comment on this alternative and indicate whether TVO intends to have discussions with Shaw regarding it.
Please submit your responses to the above questions by no later than 6 June 2012 using the Access Key system with a copy to me at caroline.poirier@crtc.gc.ca . Please include the above questions in your response. Please note that this letter, along with TVO’s request, will eventually be added to the public file.
Best regards,
Original signed by
Caroline Poirier
Senior Analyst
English and Third-language Programming
- Date modified: