2019 to 2020 Fees Report

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

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Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, 2020

Catalogue No. BC9-31E-PDF

ISSN 2562-2404

Table of contents

Minister’s message

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault

On behalf of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), I am pleased to present the Report on fees for 2019–20.

The Service Fees Act provides a modern legislative framework that enables cost-effective delivery of services, as well as improved transparency and oversight through enhanced reporting to Parliament.

I am pleased that the CRTC is continuing its transition to the reporting regime provided under the Service Fees Act.

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Canadian Heritage

About this report

This report, which is tabled under section 20 of the Service Fees ActEndnote i and section 4.2.8 of the Directive on Charging and Special Financial AuthoritiesEndnote ii, contains information about the fees that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) had the authority to set in 2019–20.

Government of Canada departments may set fees for services, licences, permits, products, the use of facilities; for other authorizations of rights or privileges; or to recover, in whole or in part, costs incurred in relation to a regulatory scheme.

For reporting purposes, fees must be categorized under the following three fee setting mechanisms:

  1. Act, regulation or fees notice
    • An act of Parliament delegates the fee setting authority to a department, minister or Governor in Council.
  2. Contract
    • Ministers have the authority to enter into contracts, which are usually negotiated between the minister and an individual or organization, and which cover fees and other terms and conditions. In some cases, that authority may also be provided by an act of Parliament.
  3. Market-rate or auction or both
    • The authority to set these fees is pursuant to an act of Parliament or regulation, and the minister, department or Governor in Council has no control over the fee amount.

This report contains information about all fees that are under the CRTC’s authority, including any that are collected by another department.

The information covers fees that are subject to the Service Fees Act.

For fees set by contract, fees set by market-rate, auction or both, the report provides totals only. For fees set by act, regulation or fees notice, it provides totals for fee groupings, as well as detailed information for each fee.

Although the fees that the CRTC charges under the Access to Information Act are subject to the Service Fees Act, they are not included in this report. Information on the CRTC’s access to information fees for 2019–20 can be found in our access to information report, which is posted on the CRTC’s websiteEndnote iii.

Remissions

A remission is a partial or full return of a fee to a fee payer who paid for a service for which a department deemed that the service standard was not met.

Under the Service Fees Act, departments must develop policies for determining whether a service standard has been met and for determining how much of a fee will be remitted to a fee payer if a service standard is not met. This requirement will not take effect until April 1, 2021, so this report does not include remissions issued under the Service Fees Act. The report also does not include other remissions.

Overall totals, by fee setting mechanism

The following table presents the total revenue, cost and remissions for all fees that the CRTC had the authority to set in 2019–20, by fee setting mechanism.

Overall totals for 2019–20, by fee setting mechanism
Fee setting mechanism Revenue ($) Cost ($)1 Remissions ($)
Fees set by contract 0 0 Remissions do not apply to fees set by contract.
Fees set by market-rate, auction or both 0 0 Remissions do not apply to fees set by market-rate, auction or both.
Fees set by act, regulation or fees notice 188,871,192 72,276,450 0
Total 188,871,192 72,276,450 0

1 Does not include the cost for the Part II broadcasting licence fees as the information is not available to the CRTC.

Totals, by fee grouping, for fees set by act, regulation or fees notice

The following tables present, for each fee grouping, the total revenue, cost and remissions for all fees that the CRTC had the authority to set in 2019–20 that are set by any of the following:

A fee grouping is a grouping of all the fees that a department has the authority to set for activities relating to a single business line, directorate or program.

Broadcasting Licence Fees: totals for 2019–20
Fee grouping Broadcasting Licence Fees
Revenue ($) Cost ($)1 Remissions ($)
149,092,789 32,498,047 0

1 Does not include the cost for the Part II broadcasting licence fees as the information is not available to the CRTC.

Telecommunications Fees: totals for 2019–20
Fee grouping Telecommunications Fee
Revenue ($) Cost ($) Remissions ($)
36,478,403 36,478,403 0
Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees: totals for 2019–20
Fee grouping Unsolicited Telecommunications Fee
Revenue ($) Cost ($) Remissions ($)
3,300,000 3,300,000 0

Details on each fee set by act, regulation or fees notice

This section provides detailed information on each fee that the CRTC had the authority to set in 2019–20 and that was set by any of the following:

Fee grouping Broadcasting Licence Fees
Fee Broadcasting Licence Fee – Part I
Fee-setting authority Broadcasting Act, section 11(1)c)Endnote iv
Year fee-setting authority was introduced 1991
Last year fee-setting authority was amended Not applicable
Service standard

The Part I Broadcasting Licence Fee is not subject to performance standards under the Service Fees Act. Nonetheless, the CRTC has its own service standards that are provided for information.

The service objectives for certain types of broadcasting applications were established in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2011-222Endnote v and came into effect on 1 April 2011.

Part I Broadcasting applications: decision to be issued within four months of close of record (CoR).

Broadcasting applications considered at a Public Hearing: decision to be issued within four months of CoR.

Broadcasting applications – administrative route: decision to be rendered within one month of the date of receipt.

Ownership-related applications: decision to be rendered within the timeframes set out below:

  1. Hearing Route: within 35 days of CoR;
  2. Notice of consultation route: within two months of CoR; and
  3. Administrative Route: within two months after the date of receipt.
Performance result

Part I Broadcasting applications: 80 applications received, 83% of decisions issued within four months of CoR.

Broadcasting applications considered at a Public Hearing: 39 applications received, 49% of decisions issued within four months of CoR.

Broadcasting applications – administrative route: 40 applications received, 97%1 of decisions rendered within one month of the date of receipt.

Ownership-related applications:

  1. Hearing Route: five2 applications received, 60% of decisions rendered within the timeframe;
  2. Notice of consultation route: one application received, no decision rendered within the timeframe; and
  3. Administrative Route: four3 applications received, 75% of decisions rendered within the timeframe.
Application of Low-Materiality Fees Regulations Not subject to section 17 of the Service Fees Act
2019–20 fee amount ($) The fee is determined by a formula that can be found in the Broadcasting Licence Fee Regulations, 1997Endnote vi
2019–20 total fee revenue ($) 32,498,047
Fee adjustment date Not applicable
Adjusted fee amount in 2021–22 ($) The fee is determined by a formula that can be found in the Broadcasting Licence Fee Regulations, 1997.

1 Five broadcasting applications processed by hearing are excluded from the calculation.

2 Two ownership-related applications processed administratively are excluded from the calculation.

3 Four ownership-related applications processed administratively are excluded from the calculation.

Fee grouping Broadcasting Licence Fees
Fee Broadcasting Licence Fee - Part II
Fee-setting authority Broadcasting Act, section 11(1)c)
Year fee-setting authority was introduced 1991
Last year fee-setting authority was amended Not applicable
Service standard The Part II Broadcasting Licence Fee is not subject to performance standards under the Service Fees Act.
Performance result Not applicable
Application of Low-Materiality Fees Regulations Not subject to section 17 of the Service Fees Act
2019–20 fee amount ($) The fee is determined by a formula that can be found in the Broadcasting Licence Fee Regulations, 1997.
2019–20 total fee revenue ($) 116,594,742
Fee adjustment date Not applicable
Adjusted fee amount in 2021–22 ($) The fee is determined by a formula that can be found in the Broadcasting Licence Fee Regulations, 1997.
Fee grouping Telecommunications Fee
Fee Telecommunications Fee
Fee-setting authority Telecommunications Act, section 68(1)Endnote vii
Year fee-setting authority was introduced 1993
Last year fee-setting authority was amended Not applicable
Service standard

The Telecommunications Fee is not subject to performance standards under the Service Fees Act. Nonetheless, the CRTC has its own service standards that are provided for information.

The service objectives for certain types of telecommunications applications were established in Broadcasting and Telecom Information Bulletin CRTC 2011-222 and came into effect on 1 April 2011.

Part 1 Applications: decision to be issued within four months of the close of record (CoR).

Part 1 Applications – Local Forbearance: decision to be issued within 120 days of receiving a complete application.

Tariff Applications and Intercarrier Agreements:

  1. 85% of determinations are to be made on an interim or final basis within two months of receipt of a complete application; and
  2. 95% of determinations are to be made on an interim or final basis within four months of receipt of a complete application.

Destandardization and/or Withdrawal Applications: to issue 95% of determinations on a final basis within 12 months of a complete application.

Performance result

Part 1 Applications: 39 applications received, 31% of decisions issued within four months of CoR.

Part 1 Applications – Local Forbearance: three applications received, no decision issued within 120 days.

Tariff Applications and Intercarrier Agreements (272 applications received):

  1. 81% completed within two months; and
  2. 93% completed within four months.

Destandardization and/or Withdrawal Applications: eight applications received, 100% completed within 12 months.

Application of Low-Materiality Fees Regulations Not subject to section 17 of the Service Fees Act
2019–20 fee amount ($) The fee is determined by a formula that can be found in the Telecommunications Fees Regulations, 2010.Endnote viii
2019–20 total fee revenue ($) 36,478,403
Fee adjustment date Not applicable
Adjusted fee amount in 2021–22 ($) The fee is determined by a formula that can be found in the Telecommunications Fees Regulations, 2010.
Fee grouping Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees
Fee Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees
Fee-setting authority Telecommunications Act, section 41.21(1)
Year fee-setting authority was introduced 2012
Last year fee-setting authority was amended Not applicable
Service standard The Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees are not subject to performance standards under the Service Fees Act.
Performance result Not applicable
Application of Low-Materiality Fees Regulations Not subject to section 17 of the Service Fees Act
2019–20 fee amount ($) The fees are determined by a formula that can be found in the Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees Regulations.Endnote ix
2019–20 total fee revenue ($) 3,300,000
Fee adjustment date Not applicable
Adjusted fee amount in 2021–22 ($) The fees are determined by a formula that can be found in the Unsolicited Telecommunications Fees Regulations.
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