Comment: Broadcast industry shares 2008 wish list

Not surprisingly, a decision on fee for carriage and the transition to a digital television universe top the 2008 wish lists from representatives of CanWest MediaWorks Inc., the Canadian Cable Systems Alliance Inc. and former Canadian Digital Television president Michael McEwen. "The time has come for adequate compensation for the carriage of local/regional television stations - whether we're talking about carriage of the local or regional stations within their licensed contours for a fee, or the ability to negotiate terms and conditions for carriage of stations out-of-market. This has been discussed since 1971. Thirty-seven years is an awfully long time to wait, but this is a policy change whose time has come." - Jon Medline, director of regulatory affairs, CanWest "With analog shutdown for conventional TV scheduled for 2011, the industry, government and the CRTC need to give this issue attention from the consumer/viewer point of view. Canadian citizens need to be educated about what will happen in 2011 and how they can manage this transition without dislocation. Most countries that have firm shut off dates have industry/government programs, which speak to these issues. Canada has nothing and nothing planned. "Media diversity is increasingly becoming an issue in Canada, which will require the CRTC to layout some clear ground rules based on their hearing earlier in 2007. The electronic media has seen a lot of concentration in the past two years and one needs to ask the question whether the industry or the viewer is any better off. Deregulation in theory is a good thing but in fact our system has always depended on a regulated marketplace for economic and cultural purposes and fewer rules and more cross ownership is not necessarily a panacea for Canada's media future. The distribution hearings in 2008 will be another litmus test for this issue." -Michael McEwen "What would CCSA members like to see in 2008? The answer to that question has two parts; first, minimally intrusive regulation that makes sense for the distribution sector and, indeed, the industry as a whole; and, second, the true flexibility that small cable companies need to continue serving consumers in Canada's smaller communities. That means, as for the industry, as a whole:Replacement of access rights and distribution and linkage rules with simple preponderance of Canadian services;A single, technologically neutral Eligible Satellite List for foreign servicesEquitable regulation and licensing of all BDUs within a single class of distribution licenseesThe ability to access new revenue streams through relaxed advertising rules for US availsSupport to the community channel with more freedom to pool content and financing among systems and, again, access to advertising revenue.That means, for small cable operators:Substantially complete exemption from even a lighter regulatory regime for all systems with fewer than 20,000 customersComplete packaging flexibility subject to requirements for preponderance and provision of a minimal, entry-level basic serviceThe ability to migrate services to digital, now, without having to move full tiersThe ability to rely on CRTC-managed dispute resolution with respect to foreign services, particularly with respect to migration issues.For small and independent cable systems, an effective small systems exemption is the top priority.Finally, CCSA members believe that fee-for-carriage for conventional television is just wrong. It amounts to a tax on BDU customers to subsidize delivery of free television service to those who choose not to buy service from the BDUs. Our customers should not be forced to pay more for a service that their neighbours can get for free. That is just a new way to drive BDU subscribers away from the regulated system. With a small and shrinking conventional television viewer base, with consolidation of the conventional television services within media powerhouses that operate the very same specialty services that they say are ruining their business and with the trend toward consumer use of over-the-top services to satisfy their programming needs, the timing for this idea could not be worse. 2008 would be a very good year to recognize that fact." -Chris Edwards, VP corporate and regulatory, CCSA

Comment: Broadcast industry shares 2008 wish list

Broadcast | December 17, 2007

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