ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Procedural Letter addressed to Susan Wheeler (Rogers Broadcasting Limited)
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Ottawa, 18 June 2015
Ms. Susan Wheeler
Vice-President, Regulatory, Media
Rogers Broadcasting Limited
333 Bloor Street East, 6th floor
Toronto, ON
M4W 1G9
By e-mail: susan.wheeler@rci.rogers.com
Re: Application 2015-0576-0, a Part 1 application by Unifor 723M for an expedited public hearing regarding the cancellation of original local ethnic television newscasts cancelled by Rogers Broadcasting Limited (Rogers) on its OMNI stations, and a mandatory order requiring their reinstatement – Procedural request and Request for Information
Dear Ms. Wheeler:
The Commission received a Part 1 application dated 5 June 2015 from Unifor 723M requesting the Commission to hold an expedited public-hearing to inquire into and hear Rogers’ reasons for cancelling third-language newscasts on the OMNI stations, to permit parties to cross-examine Rogers at this hearing and to order the reinstatement of third-language newscasts following the hearing until applications to renew these licences, or to acquire the assets of these broadcasting undertakings, are heard by the Commission. In its application, Unifor 723M also requested that their complaint be consolidated with the complaint filed by Urban Alliance of Race Relations.
Procedural Request
By letter dated 11 June 2015, Unifor 723M submitted a procedural request asking the Commission to amend the procedures it is using to consider the applications it has received about the cancellation of original local news on the OMNI over-the-air television stations, by issuing a notice of consultation to call Rogers to an expedited and consolidated public hearing, so as to enable the Commission to determine whether it should issue a mandatory order for Rogers to reinstate original local news on its five OMNI stations serving Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver.
Rogers may serve upon Unifor 723M and file with the Commission a reply to the above-noted procedural request.
Request for Information
Section 28(1)(a) of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure provides that the Commission may request parties to file information, particulars or documents where needed.
In order to complete the analysis of Unifor 723M’s application, Rogers is requested to respond to the following question:
- Provide a detailed description of the programming changes on the OMNI stations, and describe the type of programming with which Rogers intends to replace the local, third-language newscasts on the OMNI stations.
Please provide your response no later than 22 June 2015 by using the secured service “My CRTC Account” (Partner Log In or GCKey) and send a copy of your response to the following e-mail address: tina-louise.latourelle@crtc.gc.ca.
We also request that you repeat these questions in your response.
Please note that your response will be posted on the Commission’s website and will be added to the publicly accessible file of the Part 1 application submitted by Unifor 723M (application number 2015-0576-0).
Should you need further information concerning this request for information, please do not hesitate to contact Tina Louise Latourelle by e-mail, by telephone at 819-997-9392 or by fax at 819-994-0218.
Best regards,
(Original signed by)
Sheehan Carter,
Senior Manager
English- and Third-language Television
- Date modified: