ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Procedural Letter Addressed to Various parties
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Ottawa, 12 August 2016
VIA EMAIL
Mr. Shan Chandrasekar
President
Asian Television Network
Mr. Joe Chan
President
Fairchild Television LTD.
Mr. Aldo DiFelice
President
Telelatino Network Inc.
Mr. John Maniatakos
Vice President
Odyssey Television Network Inc.
Dear Messrs. Chandrasekar, Chan, DiFelice and Maniatakos,
Re: Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2016-225, application by Rogers Media Inc. for a broadcasting licence to operate a new ethnic discretionary service with mandatory distribution as part of the basic service.
This is in reference to a letter dated 16 July 2016 from Asian Television Network, Fairchild Television, Telelatino and Odyssey Television (hereinafter the Ethnic broadcasters), relating to the renewal of television licences held by large English-language and French-language ownership groups, as outlined in Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2016-225 (BNC 2016-225). Specifically, the Ethnic broadcasters are requesting that the hearing of Rogers Media’s application for a broadcasting licence to operate a new ethnic discretionary service with mandatory distribution as part of the basic service further to section 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act (the 9(1)(h) application), which has been filed as part of OMNI’s licence renewal application, be postponed to a later date.
The Ethnic broadcasters argued that the hearing of the 9(1)(h) application at a renewal hearing, where the Commission announced that it would review the adequacy of Rogers’ response to its new policy on local and community programming for its local ethnic television over-the-air stations, is not procedurally appropriate or fair to interested parties.
The Commission notes that Rogers Media replied to the Ethnic broadcasters in a letter dated 19 July 2016.
In its group-based licence renewal application, Rogers Media proposed a new programming strategy for OMNI and made several requests for amendments to its conditions of licence for these stations, contingent on whether the Commission were to approve or deny the 9(1)(h) application.
With the publication of BNC 2016-225, the Commission is considering the whole of Rogers Media’s group-based licence renewal application, as filed, including the application for a new ethnic discretionary service with mandatory distribution as part of the basic service. As such, the Commission will not remove 9(1)(h) application from the proceeding outlined in BNC 2016-225.
The Ethnic broadcasters may choose to file an intervention in the public proceeding initiated by BNC 2016-225 in which they could outline their comments or proposals on any part of Rogers Media’s group based renewal application, including the 9(1)(h) application. Furthermore, the Commission will be able to take their comments or proposals into account during the appearing phase of the proceeding.
The Ethnic broadcasters’ letter dated 16 July 21016, Rogers Media’s reply dated 19 July 2016 and the present correspondence have been placed on the public record of the BNC 2016-225 proceeding.
Yours sincerely,
Danielle May-Cuconato
Secretary General
c.c.: susan.wheeler@rci.rogers.com,
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