Critics take aim at lack of experience of new CRTC appointee

OTTAWA--Opposition MPs and industry observers are criticizing the Conservative government’s appointment of Athanasios (Tom) Pentefountas to the position of vice-chair of broadcasting at the CRTC, pointing to the new appointee’s lack of broadcasting experience. “We’ve never seen working with broadcasting and telecommunications. We’ve never seen him at the CRTC. When you see the job description, there is nothing in it that corresponds with what we know about Pentefountas,” Carole Lavallée, Bloc Québécois MP and heritage critic, said in an interview. Heritage Minister James Moore announced Friday that Pentefountas will fill the vacancy at the commission left by Michel Arpin, whose term expired Aug. 30 without reappointment. Arpin told The Wire Report in September that, although he sought reappointment as vice-chair of broadcasting, “the wise men decided differently,” suggesting that political considerations may have been at play. The Canada Gazette ran a notice of vacancy advertising the position on June 12, 2010. The notice listed a salary range of $190,400 to $224,000 and specified that the candidate should “possess extensive knowledge of the CRTC.” Since Moore’s announcement, suggestions have swirled linking Pentefountas to the Conservative government. The links are not hard and fast, but critics say he is an associate of Senator Leo Housakos. Housakos and Pentefountas were both active in the Action democratique du Quebec (ADQ), where Petefountas served as the party’s president. The ADQ is a political ally of the federal Conservative party in Quebec. Critics also point out that Pentefountas is a friend to Dimitri Soudas, the director of communications to Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Housakos declined to comment on the appointment and Soudas was unavailable for comment Monday. Ian Morrison, spokesperson for the Friends of the Canadian Broadcasters, said in an interview that the appointment is not appropriate. “Nothing in the background of Mr. Pentefountas suggests he has the skills and experience to head up the broadcasting sector of the CRTC,” Morrison said. “I am aware of seven individuals who went through an interview process managed by the Privy Council Office in summer 2010, and I know that Pentefountas was not among those seven people.” Morrison could not reveal the names of the seven candidates, but said most were Quebecers and that all of them had qualifications to satisfy an appointment. But Jean-Luc Benoit, a spokesman for Moore, told The Globe and Mail that Pentefountas went through the selection process ran by the Heritage Department and PCO and was determined to be the best candidate. Moore said during Question Period Monday that Pentefountas’s lack of broadcasting experience means he is not wedded to any stakeholders or corporations that deal with the commission. “He is a qualified, effective, bilingual person, who will do an outstanding job at the CRTC,” Moore said in the House. Pentefountas, a Quebec lawyer, was admitted to the Quebec Bar in 1996 and, in addition to being active in Quebec’s provincial politics, has worked with several organizations, including the Montreal Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association. John Doyle, The Globe and Mail’s television critic, said in an interview that, as someone who covers the television industry, he is surprised and disappointed that the appointee is not someone who has knowledge of and experience in the industry. “The industry has become more and more complex and is changing all the time. It would be better for the CRTC to have someone who has direct and extensive knowledge of the industry,” he said. “It may seem, on the surface, difficult to find somebody who is highly knowledgeable about the industry but hasn’t worked for the one of the big stakeholders or broadcasters. It isn’t impossible. I think experience trumps naiveté in this case.” Bloc Quebecois leader Gilles Duceppe told reporters Monday that Pentefountas’ appointment was a political one. “I think this is a very partisan appointment. Mr. Pentefountas knows nothing about the situation with the CRTC, and Minister Moore thinks that it’s a good quality to not know the subject,” Duceppe said. CRTC positions are order-of-council appointments, which are decided by the federal cabinet. Morrison said he is concerned about the new chairman’s relationship with the Conservative government. “He had fairly senior roles in the ADQ in the past and that is the nature of his current affiliation with the federal Conservatives in Quebec. That is not appropriate. It wouldn’t be appropriate even as a commissioner, let alone parachuting in as a vice-chair,” he said. NDP MP Charlie Angus said at a press conference Monday that his party wants to know which candidates were shortlisted, who interviewed them, and whether Pentefountas was a part of the process. “If you look at the qualifications listed, he simply doesn’t meet any of them,” Angus said. Marc Garneau, Liberal MP and the party’s industry critic, said in an interview that he is not ready going to pass judgment on the new vice-chair of broadcasting. “I hope that he will do his job impartially and well. The CRTC needs some good people,” he said. Morrison said industry players may see a partisan Conservative appointment as one suggesting that the government seeks to take a more hands-off approach to regulating the broadcasting industry. But he cautioned that the broadcasting industry is not likely to criticize the appointment, at least publicly. “Some people may not want to speak out about this, because if they have a broadcasting licence, they are going to be appearing in front of this guy,” Morrison said. Moore also announced Monday the appointment of Pierre Gingras to the board of directors of CBC/Radio-Canada. Gingras was a former member in the Quebec National Assembly for Blaineville, Que., and former president of the ADQ caucus. asmith@thewirereport.ca

Critics take aim at lack of experience of new CRTC appointee

Broadcast | February 8, 2011

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Critics take aim at lack of experience of new CRTC appointee

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