Community channel operations amended for now, and possibly later

In a relatively light decision issued yesterday, the CRTC amended the Exemption Order regarding cable BDUs that serve between 2,000 and 6,000 subscribers with respect to the commission's community channel policy. Canadian Communications Reports, however, wonders if the amendment was a bit of housekeeping by the commission prior to April's BDU and specialty review. The gist of the amendments is that exempt BDUs - cable distributors serving between 2,000 and 6,000 subscribers - may now offer their community channels on the same basis as either the licensed cable system of which they are an affiliate, or as any BDU that has a licensed area that includes any part of the same province or territory in which the exempt BDU operates. The commission set out to amend the Exemption Order so that these smaller BDUs to take advantage of a recent licence change permitting the larger distributors to offer regional or zone-based programming in addition to local programming on their community channels.Prior to the amendment, exempt BDUs electing to offer a community channel had to ensure the channel consisted of 60% local community television programs that are reflective of the community and 30% access programming produced by members of the community that BDU served. The amendment, it would seem, opens community channels in these smaller serving areas up to community programming from larger BDUs, thereby decreasing their local somewhat. Nonetheless, the proposed amendments were met with little resistance and were approved by the commission. However, intentionally or not - CCR was awaiting clarification from the commission at press time - it seems the CRTC has now put itself in a position to avoid undertaking further regulatory amendments should the basis by which BDUs offer community channels be altered again as part of the upcoming BDU and specialty service review. In Public Notice 2007-10, the CRTC solicits comments on two possible changes to the nature of community channels. Should community channels be opened up to traditional forms of advertising to create a new revenue opportunity for distributors? And should the regulatory requirement for community channels to be distributed as part of the basic service be eliminated? Of the two options, introducing additional advertising freedoms on community channels is likely to be considered as BDUs themselves don't seem to favour removing community channels from the basic package. But they do advocate allowing advertising on community access networks. " proposes that BDUs be given the authority to use 100% of the promotional time on the community channel at their discretion for the purpose of promoting the community channel, airing unpaid Canadian public service announcements, providing customer service information, and promoting licensed and authorized programming services, discretionary packages and non-programming services, including telephone and Internet services," wrote the cableco in its comments on the BDU hearing.Similarly, "Shaw also proposes allowing commercial advertising and the promotion of affiliated services on the community channel." Even the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), which says the fact that community channels are not in the business of selling advertising is one of the main characteristics that sets them apart from commercial television channels, braces for the likelihood of this amendment in its submission. "In the end, if the commission is to allow for the introduction of advertising dollars into community channels, measures should be put in place that would ensure that community independence would not be compromised," writes PIAC. "This possibly would require an independent, representative community board to supervise and rule on programming," Also in the end - assuming the recent amendments to the BDU Exemption Order have been interpreted correctly - if the commission rules to allow traditional advertising on the BDUs' community channels, distributors serving between 2,000 and 6,000 subscribers will automatically be able to operate on their community channels on the same basis.

Community channel operations amended for now, and possibly later

Broadcast | November 15, 2007

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us