ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Procedural Letter Addressed to Kirwan Cox (Quebec English-language Production Council)
This page has been archived on the Web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.
Ottawa, 24 December 2015
Sent by e-mail: qepc@bell.net
Mr. Kirwan Cox
Executive Director,
Quebec English-language Production Council
Re: Procedural request regarding Call for comments on the Commission’s policies relating to Certified Independent Production Funds (Broadcasting Notice of Consultation 2015-467) – Request for financial information related to Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
Mr. Cox:
The Commission is in receipt of a procedural request dated 16 December 2015 from the Quebec English-language Production Council (QEPC) requesting that the Commission seek from all Certified Independent Production Funds (CIPFs) information relating to the funding of productions for Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs), and that this information be made available as soon as possible. This request was filed in the context of the Commission’s Call for comments on the Commission’s policies relating to Certified Independent Production Funds, Notice of Consultation CRTC 2015-467 (the Notice).
Specifically, QEPC is seeking the following information:
- Total revenues, and a breakdown of Broadcasting Distribution Undertaking revenues, for CIPFs over each of the last three years (2012-2013 to 2014-2015);
- The number of the total English and French-language projects funded by CIPFs for each of the last three years, including a breakdown for English and French OLMCs; and
- Total production funding for English and French-language projects for each of the last three years, including a breakdown for English and French OLMCs.
Paragraph 26 of the guidelinesFootnote 1 on the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure states that these requests should be supported by reasons, including an explanation of how the request would affect other parties.
QEPC did not provide any reasons as to why it requires this information to be able to make its intervention as part of the proceeding announced in the Notice. Moreover, QEPC submitted its procedural request on 16 December 2015, two days before the 18 December 2015 deadline to file interventions, which was announced on 20 October 2015. If QEPC’s request was accepted, it would require significant time to obtain the information requested, publish that information, and allow interested parties additional time to comment.
As noted above, QEPC did not provide any justification as to why such action would need to be taken, nor did it consider the impact of its request on other parties, including CIPFs themselves.
For the reasons set out above, the Commission denies QEPC’s request.
In the Notice, the Commission asked for comments regarding the reporting requirements and the use of CIPF funding for productions linked to OLMCs. The Commission notes that QEPC has provided comments in this regard.
Please note that a copy of your letter and this response will be added to the public record.
Yours sincerely,
Danielle May-Cuconato
Secretary General
Footnotes
- Date modified: