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Online News Notice of Consultation CRTC 2024-143

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Reference: 2024-143-1, 2024-143-2

Ottawa, 27 June 2024

Public record: 1011-NOC2024-0143

Call for comments – Application for exemption from the Online News Act by Google

Summary

The Online News Act (the Act) received royal assent on 22 June 2023, and on 19 December 2023, the Online News Act Application and Exemption Regulations (the Regulations) regarding the application of that Act came into force.

The purpose of the Act is to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace and contribute to its sustainability. The Act sets out a framework requiring the largest online platforms to negotiate for compensation with eligible news businesses in Canada and to reach fair commercial deals for the news content made available by the online platforms.

The Regulations, made by the Government of Canada, establish factors that determine if the Act applies to an online platform. Online platforms that reach agreements with a broad range of news organizations, whether individually, in groups, or as part of a collective, may request to be exempt from the requirement to bargain with individual news businesses. In order for an online platform to receive an exemption, it must be approved by the Commission based on a public consultation.

In December 2023, the Department of Canadian Heritage announced an agreement under which Google LLC (Google) would contribute $100 million to Canadian news businesses through a collective that would distribute the funds equitably.

The Regulations include a requirement for platforms to conduct an open call for news businesses to attest that they could be eligible to receive compensation under the Act. Google’s open call was held between 28 February 2024 and 30 April 2024. During that time, it also requested applications from organizations seeking to act as a collective representing news businesses.

Following that process, Google reached an agreement (the Agreement) with the Canadian Journalism Collective (the CJC) on 6 June 2024. On 7 June 2024, Google notified the Commission that the Act applied to its Google Search product and submitted an application to be exempted from the mandatory bargaining. The Commission is asking for public comments on whether it should grant Google an exemption order, and if so, under which terms and conditions, if any.

The Commission must determine if Google has demonstrated that it met the criteria for an exemption order under section 11 of the Act and the Regulations. If it has not, the Commission may issue an interim exemption order to allow Google time to meet the criteria. If Google has met the exemption criteria, the Commission must also determine:

Google and the CJC are parties to this proceeding. The public record will include Google’s application, the Agreement and the list of news businesses that responded to the open call.

During the comment period, ending on 29 July 2024 anyone can comment on Google’s application or respond to the questions in this notice. Google and the CJC must answer questions 6, 7, 9 and 19 in the notice, which request further information about the Agreement. The CJC is directed to submit documents as described in question 10 by 8 July 2024.

There will be a 10-day reply period starting 30 July 2024, ending 9 August 2024. Replies may address only information provided by other parties during the comment period and may not provide new arguments in response to the original questions. Only those parties who file comments may file a reply.

More information on how to participate in this proceeding is available at paragraphs 44 to 58 of this notice.

Background

  1. The Online News Act (the Act) sets out a framework for bargaining between news businesses and the largest online platforms that make news content available. The purpose of the Act is to enhance fairness in the Canadian digital news marketplace and contribute to its sustainability. Once a platform to which the Act applies has signed fair agreements it may apply to the Commission to be exempted from mandatory bargaining.
  2. The criteria for an exemption order are set out in subsection 11(1) of the Act. These criteria include that the agreements signed:
    • ensure an appropriate portion of compensation be used for the production of news content;
    • do not allow the platform to undermine journalistic independence;
    • support a significant portion of independent local news businesses and innovative business models;
    • support a range of news businesses, including for-profit and not-for-profit, in local and regional markets across Canada, and serving anglophone, francophone, Black and other racialized communities;
    • support a significant portion of Indigenous news businesses and their ability to provide news content by and for Indigenous peoples; and
    • support a significant portion of official language minority community (OLMC) news businesses and their ability to provide news content to OLMCs.
  3. The Online News Act Application and Exemption Regulations (the Regulations) add conditions that a platform must meet to receive an exemption order, including an open call process to seek interested news businesses.
  4. The Regulations also clarify some exemption criteria and explain how a platform can meet these criteria through a single agreement with a group or collective representing news businesses that responded to the open call.
  5. For Google, the Regulations set the compensation under a single agreement at $100 million per year, adjusted for inflation.
  6. Under subsection 11(3) of the Act, the Commission may include any condition in the exemption order that it considers appropriate. Under subsection 11(5) of the Act, an exemption order may remain in effect for not more than five years. Additionally, under section 12, the Commission may issue an interim exemption order where it finds that a platform has not demonstrated that it has met all the requirements for an exemption order but is of the view that the platform is taking the necessary steps to meet those requirements.
  7. On 7 June 2024, Google LLC (Google) notified the Commission that the Act applied to its Google Search platform and filed an application for an exemption order with the Commission, based on the agreement (the Agreement) it signed with the Canadian Journalism Collective (the CJC) on 6 June 2024. Google’s application is based on the exemption procedure set out in sections 4 to 10 of the Regulations, which requires Google to:
    • Conduct a 60-day open call process for news businesses that wish to receive remuneration for the platform making their news content available.
    • During the open call process, accept attestations from news businesses stating that they could meet the eligibility criteria under section 27 of the Act, that they operate a news outlet that meets the criteria set out in section 31 of that Act, and that their news content is made available on the platform in question.
    • Sign an agreement with a group or collective representing the news businesses that responded to the open call, which includes:
      • $100 million in monetary compensation, adjusted for inflation annually, to be distributed equitably to news businesses based on full-time equivalent, news-producing employees.
      • The ability for any attesting news business to join the group or collective at any time.
      • The protection of the journalistic independence of the news businesses and that funds will be used to support the production of local, regional and national news content.

The Agreement

  1. The Agreement will come into effect only once Google receives an exemption order from the Commission. It will remain in effect for up to five years provided the exemption order also remains in effect. Google agrees to pay $100 million annually, adjusted for inflation, until the end of its term.
  2. Under the Agreement, the CJC agrees to take steps relating to the distribution of the funds paid by Google. For instance, the CJC agrees to take action to ensure the accuracy of the attestations given by news businesses, to distribute funds in a timely way, to disclose details of the distribution at regular intervals, and to recoup funds distributed to any news businesses discovered to have given inaccurate attestations. 
  3. The Agreement also requires that the CJC admit any attesting news business, and the CJC may deduct up to 2% of the total amount of funding for reasonable administrative expenses. The CJC may not charge fees to news businesses to become a member.
  4. Neither Google’s application nor the Agreement contain detailed descriptions of the constitution, governance, policies or procedures of the CJC. The Agreement requires the CJC to publish these details, in some cases, before it can distribute any funds.
  5. The Agreement echoes the language of the Act and the Regulations including:
    • the formula for determining the amount to be paid each year;
    • Google’s commitment not to undermine freedom of expression or journalistic independence;
    • the rules for distribution of funds among news businesses; and
    • the obligations to use the funding to support journalism by a diverse group of news businesses.
  6. The Commission calls for comment on whether Google’s application, based on its agreement with the CJC, meets the exemption requirements of the Act, as supplemented and explained by the Regulations. The Commission welcomes comments on whether the agreement meets the requirements but has set out questions to help guide parties’ comments.

Procedural requirements and open call process

  1. Paragraph 4(1)(a) of the Regulations requires a platform to conduct an open call process for interested news businesses before it can apply for an exemption order. The platform must publish the call on its website and request that the Commission also publish the call. The call must allow news businesses at least 60 days to respond.
  2. Google published its open call on 28 February 2024 with a deadline of 30 April 2024. The call was also published on the Commission’s website.
  3. As part of this open call, interested news businesses had to attest to Google that they could meet the eligibility criteria under section 27 of the Act, that they operate a news outlet that meets the criteria set out in section 31 of that Act, and that their news content is made available on the platform in question. Although the Regulations require news businesses to attest that they could be designated as eligible, a news business does not have to be designated as eligible under section 27 of the Act by the Commission to receive compensation through a group or collective. All news businesses that submit an attestation in the open call can receive compensation through a group or collective and no mechanism is provided under the Act or Regulations for the attestations to be disputed as part of that process.
  4. As a result, the Commission will not consider the validity of attestations as part of this proceeding. A news business may submit a separate application to be designated as eligible, however the Regulations do not require a collective to admit news businesses that did not participate in the open call. Under the Agreement, Google may, from time-to-time, request that the CJC admit news businesses who have submitted an attestation to Google. However, Google does not commit to accepting any further attestations while the Agreement is in effect. 
  5. Under subparagraph 4(1)(a)(iii) and paragraph 4(1)(b) of the Regulations, platforms must publish and submit to the Commission a list of news businesses that provided attestations during the open call, and the news outlets covered by the attestations. Google published the list of news businesses that responded to the open call on 18 May 2024. The list was provided to the Commission and published on the Commission’s website. The list will form part of the record of this proceeding.
  6. Paragraph 4(1)(c) of the Regulations requires that agreements list a dollar value for any non-monetary compensation provided. The Commission notes that paragraph 4(b) of the Agreement indicates that no portion of the compensation will be non-monetary compensation.


    Q1.    Please comment on whether Google met the requirements for conducting the open call as described in subsection 4(1) of the Regulations. If it did not, please describe how it did not meet the requirement.

  7. Under section 5 of the Regulations, the Commission can only consider the impact of the agreement on news businesses and news outlets that responded to Google’s open call. However, it may further the objectives of the Act even more if it were possible for new or growing news businesses, or for news businesses that were not able to respond to the open call, to receive compensation as well.  
  8. The Commission could address this issue by limiting the length of the exemption order, but there may be other options. For example, the Commission could include a condition of exemption requiring that Google conduct periodic open calls during the exemption period to allow additional news businesses to provide attestations and receive compensation through the CJC. Clause 7(f) of the Agreement allows additional news businesses who have provided an attestation to Google to be admitted to the CJC from time to time.


    Q2.    Would it be appropriate to require an additional mechanism for allowing additional news businesses to receive compensation through the CJC that did not come forward during the initial call?

    Q3.    Should the Commission include a condition of exemption requiring Google to conduct a periodic open call to add news businesses who have not previously submitted an attestation? If another mechanism for allowing additional news businesses to receive compensation through the CJC would be more appropriate, please explain the mechanism.

    Q4.    How frequently should additional news businesses be able to be added to receive compensation through the CJC? For example, the requirement could be for a single additional opportunity at a specific point during the exemption period, or for an annual opportunity for news businesses to be added.

Payments

  1. Under subparagraph 11(1)(a)(iv) of the Act, to receive an exemption order, a platform must sign agreements that contribute to the sustainability of the Canadian news marketplace. For Google, subsection 9(2) of the Regulations sets this amount at $100 million per year, adjusted for inflation.
  2. The Agreement mirrors the calculations given in the Regulations for the annual amount. Generally, payments would be made in a lump sum annually, within 60 days of the anniversary of the exemption. However, for the first year, payments would be split between an initial $250,000 payment and a payment of the balance owing within 60 days of an exemption order being granted. Given that the Agreement only comes into effect once the exemption has been granted, the timeline for the first year’s payments is unclear.


    Q5.    Please comment on whether the Agreement meets the requirements of subsection 9(2) of the Regulations for determining the compensation to be paid per year. If the Agreement does not meet the requirements, please describe how it failed to meet the requirements.

    Q6.    Google and the CJC must comment on the expected schedule of payments in relation to the day that an exemption order is issued and on the time period to which the payments apply.

    Q7.    Google and the CJC must comment on the effect an interim order would have on the effective date of the Agreement or the schedule of payments to be made from Google to the CJC.

    (a) If Google would not make payments to the CJC in response to an interim exemption order based on the current language of the agreement, please comment on whether the Commission should require an amendment to the Agreement to ensure that payments would be made as a condition of an interim exemption order.

Operation and governance of the CJC

  1. Under subparagraph 11(1)(a)(i) of the Act, to receive an exemption order, platforms must sign agreements that provide fair compensation to news businesses.
  2. Subparagraphs 11(1)(a)(v) to (viii) list different types of news businesses that must receive compensation, including news businesses operating with a variety of business models and reflecting various regional, Indigenous, OLMC, and racialized audiences.
  3. Under section 10 of the Regulations, in the case of a collective agreement, the platform is considered to have met each of those requirements if:
    • a single agreement is signed for the whole amount of compensation to be equitably distributed among news businesses, less reasonable administrative expenses; and
    • any news business that responded to the open call is permitted to become a member of the collective and receive compensation.
  4. The compensation is divided based on full-time equivalent (FTE) employees producing original news content available online, with no more than 7% to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and no more than 30% to other broadcast news businesses. The remaining compensation would go to digital and print publications that make their news available online. The Agreement contains broad commitments from the CJC indicating that it will admit members, distribute funds and enforce obligations on member news businesses to use the majority of funds to support the production of news content. The CJC must also encourage members to use the funds to support a diverse array of news businesses and to create a governance structure that will reflect the views of diverse news businesses.
  5. To comply with subparagraph 11(1)(a)(iii), Google also commits to avoid actions that would undermine freedom of expression or journalistic independence as part of the Agreement. The Agreement also requires the CJC to impose a similar requirement on member news businesses. The Agreement states that news outlets representing a diversity of markets and populations, including Indigenous news outlets, must have meaningful representation and that the CJC is required to establish a dispute resolution mechanism for disagreements between members and the CJC. However, minimal information was submitted on how the CJC will govern itself, distribute funds or ensure that members comply with their obligations under the Agreement. Similarly, minimal information is provided on how disputes between members, or between Google and the CJC, will be resolved.
  6. The Agreement requires the CJC to make certain details public, but only after an exemption order has been granted and the Agreement is in effect. Those details include how it will define FTE, how it will verify FTE data from members, and how it will resolve disputes. The CJC is also required to publish its governance documents and policies in the future prior to it distributing any funds.
  7. Without information on the governance and policies of the CJC, the Commission may not be able to determine if Google’s agreement with the CJC satisfies the requirements of the Act and Regulations. In its application, Google requested a one-year interim exemption order if a final exemption order could not be granted.
  8. Beyond the distribution of funds, the CJC has agreed to a number of other terms, including that it, and its members, will not launch any bargaining or copyright-related proceedings against Google, and that it will indemnify Google against a wide variety of potential losses.


    Q8.    Please comment on whether the Agreement meets the requirements of Section 10 of the Regulations. If it does not meet the requirements, please explain why not. In particular:

    (a) Is the maximum of 2% for administrative expenses provided for in the Agreement reasonable?

    (b) Is the mechanism in the Agreement for the CJC to admit news businesses that responded to the open call consistent with paragraph 10(1)(b) of the Regulations?

    (c) Is the Agreement sufficient to ensure the CJC will distribute funds in a manner consistent with the requirement for equitable distribution in subsections 10(2) and 10(3) of the Regulations? Please address whether any of the terms agreed to by the CJC, such as its responsibility to indemnify Google, could put its ability to distribute the compensation at risk.

    Q9.    The CJC must comment on the steps that were taken to ensure that, in negotiating and signing the Agreement, it acted independently of Google and protected the interests of the news businesses that will receive compensation. For instance, did the CJC receive independent legal and financial advice?

    Q.10 Where such documents have already been created, the CJC is required to file each of the documents mentioned in clauses 7(c)(i) and 7(d)(v) of the Agreement. To ensure other interested parties may comment on the documents, the CJC is directed to file them no later than 8 July 2024.

    (a) Please comment on whether the information provided in the application and in the documents filed in response to this question demonstrate that the CJC is able to enforce the obligations on member news businesses that are contained in the Agreement, and whether there will be sufficient monitoring and transparency to allow all parties to verify whether the obligations are being met. 

    (b) If the available information on the CJC’s operation and governance is not sufficient for the Commission to make a determination, please comment on the appropriateness of the Commission issuing an interim exemption order and setting a condition requiring that final versions of those documents be submitted. Those documents must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Commission, that the funds will be distributed in accordance with the Regulations prior to the Commission issuing a final exemption order. 

    Q11.  Are there any additional conditions related to the operation of the CJC that should be included if the Commission grants an interim exemption order? Explain the intended effect and the rationale for any conditions you propose to be included.

    Q12.  If the Commission grants a final exemption order, should it impose any additional conditions related to the operation of the CJC? Explain the intended effect and the rationale for any conditions you propose to be included. In particular, please comment on the appropriateness of the Commission imposing conditions related to the following and on what those conditions should be:

    (a) How funds should be handled prior to disbursement, including use of trust accounts and disbursement of interest.

    (b) Timelines for procedures, including processing memberships and disbursement of funds.

    (c) Voting procedures for leadership of the CJC, or on matters of importance such as accepting agreements or changes to the organization’s procedures.

    (d) Should Google’s written approval be required for the CJC to assign its responsibilities under the agreement to another organization? Should such an assignment require a Commission review of the exemption order?

    (e) Should the Commission impose a condition requiring an annual report from the CJC providing information on its operations? If so, please explain what elements should be included in the report and why. For example, the report might cover information on membership activities, when and to whom money was dispersed, the operating budget of the CJC, or on any dispute resolution activities.

Length of exemption order

  1. Subsection 11(5) of the Act limits exemption orders to a maximum of five years. Google has requested an exemption order that would last for five years. The Agreement provides for payments for up to five years, as long as an exemption order is in place. 


    Q13.  Please comment on the appropriateness of the Commission granting a five-year exemption order to Google. If it is not appropriate, why not and what should the term of the exemption order be?

Scope of exemption order

  1. Per paragraph 11(2)(a) of the Act, an exemption order exempts the platform from its duty to participate in the mandatory bargaining process with news businesses under section 21 of the Act. Paragraph 11(2)(b) of the Act gives the Commission the discretion to exempt the platform from other provisions of the Act or Regulations which the Commission has made under the Act. In its application, Google requested a “full exemption” without qualification.
  2. Besides the mandatory bargaining process, other provisions of the Act apply to platforms, such as:
    • sections 49 and 50, which require parties to comply with a code of conduct in bargaining that would apply even when bargaining outside the mandatory framework;
    • section 51, which prohibits undue preference or disadvantages in a platform’s treatment of news businesses;
    • sections 53 and 57, which require platforms to provide relevant information to the Commission on request;
    • sections 60 through 75 which allow the Commission to enforce compliance with other provisions in the Act;
    • sections 79 through 83, which allow the Commission to collect fees or recover costs related to the administration of the Act; and  
    • sections 84 and 85, which allow the Governor in Council and the Commission to make regulations related to the Act. 
  3. This list is not exhaustive. The Commission does not have the authority to exempt Google from every provision of the Act. For example, to exempt Google from cost recovery measures, the Commission needs the approval of the Treasury Board. The Commission also cannot exempt Google from regulations made by the Governor in Council, such as the obligation to notify the Commission that the Act applies to them, or the requirements to be met to gain an exemption order.
  4. The Commission also has certain responsibilities under the Act, whether or not platforms are exempt from bargaining. For instance, the Commission must monitor compliance with the Act, and with any orders it issues, including exemption orders. The Commission must also hire an independent auditor to prepare an annual report on the Act’s impact and would need to collect information for the auditor to use for this purpose.


    Q14.  Explain which provisions Google should be exempted from and which it should not be exempted from and why. Given the Commission’s regulatory responsibilities under the Act, please comment on the appropriateness of:

    (a) exempting Google from any requirements to provide information to the Commission or to the external auditor;

    (b) the Commission seeking Treasury Board approval to exempt Google from cost recovery measures; and

    (c) exempting Google from undue preference complaints.

Funding for public interest participation

  1. For broadcasting and telecommunications matters before the Commission, public interest and consumer groups can recover some of their costs for participating. This can help encourage participation and contribute to a robust public record. In those matters, costs can be recovered through either the Broadcasting Participation Fund or through an application for a telecom costs award.
  2. The availability of news and the sustainability of the Canadian news marketplace are issues of great importance to the Canadian public. However, there is no similar mechanism to encourage public interest participation in matters related to the Act through funding.


    Q15.  Should the Commission require Google to provide funding for public interest participants in this proceeding as a condition of exemption?

    Q16.  Should the Commission require Google to provide funding to a third party such as the Broadcasting Participation Fund that could be used for public interest participants in future proceedings related to the Act as a condition of exemption?

    Q17.  If public interest participation funding should be required, what procedures should be used to collect and distribute funding?

    Q18.  What amount of public interest funding would be reasonable?

Additional conditions

  1. The Commission may impose conditions as part of a final or interim exemption order to ensure that Google and the CJC are acting in a manner that is consistent with the intentions of the Act and the Regulations.


    Q19.  Google and the CJC must comment on whether subsection 7(h) of the Agreement limits members of the CJC from beginning proceedings other than those related to initiating the bargaining process described in section 19 of the Act, such as:

    • complaints under section 52 related to undue preference;
    • requests for a compliance order under section 50 related to the code of conduct;
    • applications under section 14 for the Commission to review an exemption order; or
    • any other proceeding allowed under the Act.

    Q20.  If the Agreement does restrict members of the CJC from initiating other proceedings under the Act, should the Commission impose a condition that the agreement be amended to allow such proceedings?

    Q21.  Are there any additional amendments to the Agreement that are necessary to bring it into compliance with the Act or the Regulations, or conditions that the Commission should consider adding to an interim or final exemption order?

  2. Google and the CJC are parties to this proceeding. The public record will include Google’s application, the Agreement and the list of news businesses that responded to the open call.
  3. During the comment period, ending on 29 July 2024 anyone can comment on Google’s application or respond to the questions in this notice. Google and the CJC must answer questions 6, 7, 9 and 19. If the documents described in question 10 exist, CJC is directed to file them by 8 July 2024.
  4. There will be a 10-day reply period starting 30 July 2024, ending 9 August 2024. Replies may address only information provided by others during the comment period and may not provide new arguments in response to the original questions. Only those parties who file comments may file a reply.

Call for comments

  1. The Commission calls for comments on the questions set out in the present notice. The Commission will accept comments that it receives on or before 29 July 2024.

Procedure

  1. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Rules of Practice and Procedure (the Rules of Procedure) shall apply to the present proceeding. The Rules of Procedure set out, among other things, the rules for content, format, filing and service of interventions, answers, replies and requests for information; the procedure for filing confidential information and requesting its disclosure; and the conduct of public hearings. Accordingly, the procedure set out below must be read in conjunction with the Rules of Procedure and related documents, which can be found on the Commission’s website under “Statutes and Regulations.” The guidelines set out in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2010-959 provide information to help interested persons and parties understand the Rules of Procedure so that they can more effectively participate in Commission proceedings.
  2. Interested persons are permitted to coordinate, organize, and file, in a single submission, interventions by other interested persons who share their position. Information on how to file this type of submission, known as a joint supporting intervention, as well as a template for the covering letter to be filed by the parties, can be found in Broadcasting Information Bulletin 2010-28-1.
  3. The Commission encourages interested persons and parties to monitor the record of the proceeding, available on the Commission’s website, for additional information that they may find useful when preparing their submissions.
  4. Submissions longer than five pages should include a summary. Each paragraph of all submissions should be numbered, and the line ***End of document*** should follow the last paragraph. This will help the Commission verify that the document has not been damaged during electronic transmission.
  5. Pursuant to Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin 2015-242, the Commission expects incorporated entities and associations, and encourages all Canadians, to file submissions for Commission proceedings in accessible formats (for example, text-based file formats that allow text to be enlarged or modified, or read by screen readers). To provide assistance in this regard, the Commission has posted on its website guidelines for preparing documents in accessible formats.
  6. Submissions must be filed by sending them to the Secretary General of the Commission using only one of the following means:


    by completing the

    [Intervention/comment/answer form]

    or

    by mail to
    CRTC, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2

    or

    by fax at
    819-994-0218

  7. Parties who send documents electronically must ensure that they will be able to prove, upon Commission request, that filing, or where required, service of a particular document was completed. Accordingly, parties must keep proof of the sending and receipt of each document for 180 days after the date on which the document is filed or served. The Commission advises parties who file or serve documents by electronic means to exercise caution when using email for the service of documents, as it may be difficult to establish that service has occurred.
  8. In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, a document must be received by the Commission and all relevant parties by 5 p.m. Vancouver time (8 p.m. Ottawa time) on the date it is due. Parties are responsible for ensuring the timely delivery of their submissions and will not be notified if their submissions are received after the deadline. Late submissions, including those due to postal delays, will not be considered by the Commission and will not be made part of the public record.
  9. The Commission will not formally acknowledge submissions. It will, however, fully consider all submissions, which will form part of the public record of the proceeding, provided that the procedure for filing set out above has been followed.

Important notice

  1. All information that parties provide as part of this public process, except information designated confidential, whether sent by postal mail, fax, email or through the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca, becomes part of a publicly accessible file and will be posted on the Commission’s website. This information includes personal information, such as full names, email addresses, postal/street addresses, telephone and fax numbers, etc.
  2. The personal information that parties provide will be used and may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled by the Commission, or for a use consistent with that purpose.
  3. Documents received electronically or otherwise will be put on the Commission’s website in their entirety exactly as received, including any personal information contained therein, in the official language and format in which they are received. Documents not received electronically will be available in PDF format.
  4. The information that parties provide to the Commission as part of this public process is entered into an unsearchable database dedicated to this specific public process. This database is accessible only from the web page of this particular public process. As a result, a general search of the Commission’s website with the help of either its own search engine or a third-party search engine will not provide access to the information that was provided as part of this public process.

Availability of documents

  1. Links to interventions, replies and answers filed for this proceeding, as well as other documents referred to in this notice, are available on the Commission’s “Consultations and hearings: have your say” page.
  2. Documents are available upon request during normal business hours by contacting:


    Documentation Centre
    Examinationroom@crtc.gc.ca
    Tel.: 819-997-4389
    Fax: 819-994-0218

    Client Services
    Toll-free telephone: 1-877-249-2782
    Toll-free TTY: 1-877-909-2782

Secretary General

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