ARCHIVED - Letter

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Ottawa, 10 June 2014

Susan Wheeler
Vice-President, Regulatory Affairs, Media
Rogers Media
333 Bloor Street East, 6th Floor
Toronto, ON
M4W 1G9

By E-mail: susan.wheeler@rci.rogers.com

Re: Letter from Rogers Broadcasting Limited regarding tangible benefits detailed in Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2012-339

Reference is made to your letter dated 6 May 2014 wherein you have advised the Commission of your intention to redirect certain benefits related to the acquisition by Rogers Broadcasting Limited (Rogers) of Saskatchewan Communications Network (SCN).  Specifically, you have indicated that you have chosen to redirect the sum of $300,000 that was originally meant to be directed to SaskFilm to administer the Rogers Digital Development Fund (RDDF) to be instead directed to Creative Saskatchewan for that same purpose.

As a certified independent production fund (CIPF), Creative Saskatchewan would appear to be an appropriate administrator of the funding in question.
You have also advised of the manner in which Creative Saskatchewan will expend the $300,000.  Specifically, you have stated that Rogers intends to contribute $48,000 per year over five years to Digital Market Travel Grants which will be directed towards expenses and fees associated with markets or courses related to digital technology in addition to $9,000 per year for five years to support business development opportunities.  These two initiatives would represent a total contribution of $285,000 over five years. Remaining funds, amounting to $15,000 or 5% of the total contribution, would be earmarked for administration.

In Broadcasting Decision 2012-339 wherein Rogers obtained the authority to purchase SCN, the Commission noted that the intention of the RDDF would be to help build capacity and accelerate the uptake of digital technology in Saskatchewan.  In our view, your proposal appears to be consistent with that which had been originally accepted by the Commission.  The proposal to attribute 5% of the total $300,000 sum to administrative costs would also appear to be consistent with the manner in which the Commission permits CIPFs to fund their administration.

Thank you for providing notice to the Commission of your intention to use a new administrator for the RDDF. 

Yours truly,
Original signed by Peter Foster on behalf of
Scott Hutton
Executive Director, Broadcasting

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