ARCHIVED - Letter

Ottawa, 25 February 2014

By email

(tabet.peggy@quebecor.com)

Re: Application by TVCI (2013-1746-2)

Dear Ms. Tabet,

The Commission received a letter dated 25 February 2014, copied to Vidéotron, in which the Independent Community Television (ICTV) group confirmed filing a complaint on 11 December 2013 regarding community service MaTV and requested that the complaint be dealt with under Part 1 of the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure.

To help us complete this record, please answer the following questions:

1) Explain how MaTV's programming reflects the cultural diversity of Greater Montreal, including
English-speaking and Aboriginal communities and other linguistic minority and ethnic groups.

a) Describe the measures taken by MaTV since September 2011 to serve the needs and interests of official language minority communities (OLMCs).
b) What is the status of the dialogue between Vidéotron and OLMCs with respect to the community programming broadcast on MaTV?

2) In the Community Television Policy (RP 2010-622), the Commission indicates that it expects broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) operating a community channel to offer a service that facilitates self-expression through free and open access by members of the community. In this respect, the Commission has established that BDU-operated community channels should meet the following objectives:
• engender a high level of citizen participation and community involvement in community programming;
• actively promote citizen access to the community channel and provide and promote the availability of related training programs;
• provide feedback mechanisms, such as advisory boards, to encourage viewer response to the range and types of programs aired;
• seek out innovative ideas and alternative views;
• provide a reasonable, balanced opportunity for the expression of differing views on matters of public concern;
• provide coverage of local events; and
• publicize the program schedule.

Please describe in detail how MaTV meets each of these objectives.

3) Please provide the list of access programs broadcast on MaTV in the Greater Montreal area during the week of 25 November 2013 to 1 December 2013 including, for each program, the title, length and a brief description of the content.

4) In RP 2010-622, the Commission identified control and creation by members of the community, i.e. an individual or group residing within the licensed area of a terrestrial BDU, as the main criterion of access programming. The Commission determined that creative control consists of two elements:

i) The idea for an access program must originate from a community member not employed by a BDU; and

ii) The community member must be involved in the production team, either:
a) in an on-camera role (e.g. a personality or actor that appears in a predominant portion of the production); and/or
b) as a creative member of the production crew (e.g. directing, producing, writing).

For each program identified in question 3, above, please explain:
i) how it meets the first element (idea originating from a community member) of the definition of access programming set out in RP 2010-622; and.
ii) how community members were involved in creative control.

5) Demonstrate how MaTV devotes to access programming a minimum of 45% of its programming schedule for all of its licensed area, including the Island of Montreal [1], as required under section 31 of
the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations.

6) What proportion of that percentage is devoted to programming produced by community television undertakings (CTUs)?

7) Please indicate what percentage of MaTV's expenditures was devoted to access programming in the 2012–2013 broadcast year.

8) Please provide the list of access program pilots received since 1 September 2011, including those that were turned down. If applicable, specify why the pilots were turned down.

9) Identify and describe the projects and opportunities proposed in the last licence term to allow community members to participate in producing access programming by ensuring creative control.

10) Identify and describe the outreach activities and tools used to promote access opportunities within the community (e.g. flyers accompanying invoices, websites, social media, on-air advertising, participation in community events, visits to schools/colleges/universities).

i) Please provide a copy of the promotional material used for this purpose.

ii) Describe the training opportunities offered to volunteers and community members to support them in producing and broadcasting access programs.

11) Please provide the following material, which will be added to the public record:

i) A copy of MaTV's (Montreal Island) program logs for the 30 days preceding the date of this letter.
ii) The records of the programs broadcast on MaTV (Montreal Island) during the week of
25 November 2013 to 1 December 2013.

Vidéotron is to submit electronically, via the secured service My CRTC Account (Partner Log In or GCKey), its response to the above questions by 10 March 2013. For clarity, please repeat the above questions in your response. Please note that this letter and Vidéotron's response will be placed on the public record.
Should you need further information concerning your application, please do not hesitate to contact me by telephone at 819-956-2974 or by email at julie.st-pierre@crtc.gc.ca.

Yours sincerely,

Julie St-Pierre
Analyst, French Language Television
TV Policy and Applications

[1] This licensed area includes seven service zones, as set out in Broadcasting Decision 2006-613 – Cable distribution undertakings in Montréal and Terrebonne - Licence renewals, namely: zone 1) Montreal Island; zone 2) Laval Island; zone 3) Saint-Jérôme, Prévost and Sainte-Thérèse; zone 4) Terrebonne, Repentigny, L'Assomption and Joliette; zone 5) Longueuil, Boucherville, Beloeil, Varennes, Saint-Bruno and La Prairie; zone 6) Saint-Jean and Chambly; and zone 7) Châteauguay, Mercier, Saint-Constant, Delson and Sainte-Catherine.

Date modified:

2014-02-25