ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Procedural Letter Addressed to Amélie Hinse (Fédération des télévision communautaires autonomes du Québec) and Catherine Edwards (Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS))
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Ottawa, 2 October 2015
VIA EMAIL: fedetv@fedetvc.qc.ca
Amélie Hinse
Directrice générale
Fédération des télévision communautaires autonomes du Québec
222 Notre-Dame Est
Victoriaville, Qc
G6P 4A2
VIA EMAIL: cedwards@timescape.ca
Catherine Edwards
Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS)
Re: Request to extend intervention period – Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2015-421
The Commission is in receipt of 2 letters dated 18 September and 24 September 2015 filed by the Fédération des télévisions communautaires autonomes du Québec (FTCAQ) and the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations (CACTUS) respectively relating to the filing of comments in the context of the process announced in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2015-421 (BNC 2015-421). Both the FTCAQ and CACTUS sought an extension of the deadline for the filing of comments beyond the current 29 October 2015 deadline. While the FTCAQ did not specify a date for the requested extension, CACTUS asked for an extension to file comments to 11 December 2015.
Both the FTCAQ and CACTUS argued that the current deadline for interventions is too short for them to prepare comments and both suggested that a planned community media conference in November would help them and other participants draft their comments for the Commission.
The Commission announced its intention to examine community programming related issues in 2013. In particular, the Commission indicated in both its 2013-2016 and 2014-2017 three year plans that it would examine the effectiveness of its community television policy at some point in the 2015-2016 broadcast year. Moreover, on 29 January 2015, the Commission released Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2015-24 wherein it was specifically noted that the Commission’s review of community programming would be expanded to include an overall examination of locally relevant, locally reflective and community access programming. At that time, the Commission also indicated that it would release a notice of consultation on these matters “in the coming months”.
As noted in BNC 2015-421, while the intervention deadline is set for 29 October 2015, the Commission nevertheless anticipates that it will publish an additional document in advance of the hearing that will help to focus comments at the hearing. Moreover interested parties will be given in excess of two months to examine the record as filed on 29 October 2015 in advance of the hearing.
Therefore, given that potential interveners, particularly those in the traditional community television sector, received ample public notice on the upcoming review and given the Commission’s determination that additional avenues for comment will be made available during the process, the Commission considers that the 29 October 2015 deadline established for filing interventions should be maintained.
Accordingly, the Commission denies both the FTCAQ and CACTUS requests.
Sincerely,
John Traversy
Secretary General
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