CCTA laments short time frame for dealing with complex issues of regional licensing

The Canadian Cable Television Association (CCTA) says potential copyright problems could outweigh any of the small administrative benefits gained by the CRTC’s proposed regional approach for licensing cable systems. With a Jan. 16 deadline looming, the association also doesn’t believe it has adequate time to deal with the complex issues raised in the commission’s call for comments on a proposed new licensing regime that would see regional licensing for multiple system cable operators (PN 2000-163). "Right now under the copyright regulations, small systems get a preferential rate," explains Christopher Taylor, CCTA senior VP of law and regulatory affairs. "If you end up having a single licence for all of Ontario for several small systems, you may lose your right to the preferential rate, and you may end up having to pay a whole bunch more in copyright fees. So that would be one problem that would need to get straightened out." The CRTC is proposing that a maximum of three licences be issued per cable operator in each of five regions: BC, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut; Alberta, Saskatechewan and Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec; and the Maritimes. One licence would cover all of an operator’s Class 1 systems, the second would apply to its Class 2 systems, and the third to its Class 3 systems. Systems in different areas of each region would still be subject to separate requirements with respect to rates, and mandated carriage of local and regional stations. The CRTC’s call for comments, issued on Dec. 7, asks a series of open-ended questions, including what are the advantages and disadvantages of a regional approach to licensing cablecos, what changes to existing regulations would have to be made to implement regional licensing, how would obligations related to signal carriage and simultaneous substitution be established, and what would the impact be on licence fees paid to the commission? With the upcoming Christmas and New Year’s holidays, Taylor notes the CCTA will not be able to provide many concrete suggestions by the submission deadline. He adds, "These are really difficult issues, because they have regulatory aspects, operational aspects in terms of how signals are provided, and also marketing aspects …(The CRTC’s proposal) is bare bones, but it’s a start. It gets the ball rolling, and we’re happy that they’ve raised the issue. But our preference would have been that there would have been a much longer time frame for comment because it is a very, very complicated issue." In its call for comments, the CRTC notes a regional approach to licensing would "reduce the administrative burden both on cable licensees and the commission." However, Taylor sees little advantage administratively for cable operators. "I don’t see any significant benefits to us," but "obviously internally the CRTC may think for themselves there are significant enough administrative gains."

CCTA laments short time frame for dealing with complex issues of regional licensing

Broadcast | December 21, 2000

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