CRTC issues reporting requirements for new media

The CRTC established a set of reporting requirements Friday for new media broadcasters to start following by the first quarter of 2011. The commission does not regulate digital media, but said it wants to better understand the sector. “The Commission considers that the collection of information regarding revenues and expenditures constitutes an important first step in fulfilling its objective to understand the growing importance and significance of broadcasting in new media,” the CRTC said in a regulatory release Friday. The commission said it will set up a new media reporting working group to establish a baseline for how new media revenues and expenditures will be reported. The working group will also develop metrics to monitor how the public consumes new media broadcasting content and how much Canadian content is available. New media industry players can apply to participate in the working group by Aug. 31, 2010. The working group will convene for up to one year in an effort to establish the reporting standards for the sector. The commission said it will start by collecting information about new media programming affiliated with traditional, licensed broadcasters, like CTVGlobemedia, CBC and Global Television. Affiliated new media broadcasters will be required to report information, as determined by the working group, on an annual basis. Michael Hennessy, Telus Corp.’s senior vice-president of government and regulatory affairs, noted on Twitter Friday that the commission’s information could be deficient if it does not include reports from new media properties like iTunes or Netflix. But the CRTC said it may require other new media enterprises to report at a later date. “As the new media environment evolves, the Commission may decide to extend reporting requirements to unaffiliated NMBUs , as appropriate,” the commission said.

CRTC issues reporting requirements for new media

Brief | August 13, 2010

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