Replies flow to CRTC on Independent Local News Fund

The final replies to the CRTC’s review of the independent local news fund (ILNF) offer a wide range of views on how the fund should be administered and who should be eligible for money. The replies follow the original interventions filed at the beginning of the month. The local independent television station owners and operators (LITS) is a broad-based lobby group representing smaller outlets. It filed a reply as did some of its members as individual entities. “Our ability to maintain and/or increase local news programming over the last seven years is a testament to the commission’s foresight in creating the fund in 2016,” it avers. The group agrees that Corus Entertainment Inc., currently outside the fund, should be admitted. But it questions how much the Global TV parent should receive. “Corus gives no reasons why it should be given three times as much regulatory funding as it received before, and makes no commitments as to how such moneys would be used to benefit its local news audiences,” the group argues. Corus should get no more than 45 per cent of ILNF total funds in any year, LITS added. For its part, Corus said it was glad so many intervenors backed its position that it is entitled to money from the fund. It cannot rely on profits from foreign programming that it airs on its network to underwrite its local operations, it said. While most of those replying confined themselves to brief responses, Corus filed a 15-page document. It maintains it offers unique services. “The reality is Global National, The West Block and other national Global News programs and specials (such as election coverage) provide an invaluable public service to Canadians, which cannot be duplicated by other current ILNF recipients,” the network stated. Taking the opposite view is the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. It concedes that something should be done to bolster Global News but disagrees that the fund is the appropriate vehicle. “PIAC agrees with others, including LITS, that while Corus meets the ‘independent’ requirement for ILNF funding, its size and news expenditures will drain the ILNF making it ineffective for smaller groups that are reliant on it,” the organization asserted. LITS member MCA Media, owner of the Miracle Channel, likewise opposes giving Global the green light. “Corus has not provided clear commitments on how it would use these funds to benefit local news audiences or reverse cuts to their news operations,” the channel stated. “The proposed increase in the market cap from 12 per cent to 15 per cent would disproportionately benefit Corus at the expense of smaller stations.” 0859291 BC Ltd is the parent company of Victoria BC television station CHEK and a LITS member. It praises the fund. “CHEK is on record with the commission as to the benefits of the ILNF and how it has been a lifeline for a station like ours,” the company wrote. “It has enabled us to provide reliable, trustworthy and professional news programming with journalistic standards to the community we serve.” If the fund is to be expanded, additional funding will be necessary, the western station asserts. Some seeking expansion of fund The Cable Public Affairs Channel Inc. (CPAC) is one of those seeking expansion of the ILNF. “If the commission were to extend eligibility for funding beyond local television stations, then CPAC’s core news and information programming should be considered as potentially eligible for funding,” the Parliamentary channel stated. The station does not carry advertising and is dependent on grants from broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) and subscriber revenues, it pointed out. Another outlet seeking entry to the fund is the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network Inc. (APTN). It advocates for making foreign streamers pay their fair share into the ILNF. APTN says its news, though national, reflects a specific community – in this case Indigenous Canadians. It operates a newsroom in Winnipeg with bureaus across the country. Its coverage mirrors what local broadcasters do. “For these reasons, APTN believes that it would be appropriate for APTN to be eligible to receive funding through the ILNF to support APTN’s news programming,” the firm stated. It also urged the CRTC to establish appropriate news standards for outlets that receive funding. Worries about disadvantages Hamilton, Ont. TV station CHCH is owned by Channel Zero (2190015 Ontario Inc.). It believes it is vital that current recipients of funding not be disadvantaged by changes to the regime. “Ultimately, Channel Zero supports using the ILNF to ensure all current recipients first and foremost are able to continue to provide their communities with high quality locally reflective news and information,” the broadcaster said. One of the conventional networks affected by the downturn in the industry is BCE Inc.’s Bell Media. In its reply, it noted that its accumulated annual news operating losses swelled from $28.4 million to $40 million from 2016 to 2023. It disagreed with original interventions by Friends of Canadian Media and by broadcast and telecom union Unifor that want the commission to impose new requirements on ILNF recipients. CRTC goals can still be reached under current regulations, Bell maintained. The Motion Picture Association Canada (MPA-Canada) thinks the whole process is premature, as MPA-Canada has filed a case before the Federal Court of Appeal. It does not want the CRTC to expand the scope of the hearing. “To be clear, MPA-Canada strongly objects to any proposal for foreign online undertakings to subsidize news or information programing of VI undertakings (whether as recipients of the ILNF or otherwise) – especially because online undertakings and exempt broadcasting undertakings affiliated with VI undertakings and other Canadian licensees, including Canada’s largest streaming service Crave, have been exempted from base contributions,” the lobby group stated. (Italics in original document.) The Canadian Association of Broadcasters reminded the commission that other organizations have access to money that its members do not. “CBC, for example, benefits from a significant parliamentary appropriation,” the lobby group stated. “Community broadcasters have access to the Local Journalism Initiative, a government of Canada program that supports the creation of original civic journalism and is only available to community radio, community television, written press, and online news services. Print and digital publications also have access to the Canadian Journalism Labour Tax Credit, which is explicitly not available to licensed broadcasters.” DeafDots is a news outlet for the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) community. It feels there should be room for deaf news organizations such as itself to get money. “Sign Language is recognized as a language with its own syntax and grammar. As such, this audience has a linguistic need to receive news delivered in sign language,” the company wrote. It was backed up by two deaf lobby groups, the Canada Deaf Grassroots Movement (CDGM) and the DHH Coalition. CDGM found it unfortunate that DeafDots is ineligible for funding. It opposes giving Global access to the fund. “CDGM also believes that Corus will have a huge negative impact on ILNF should it be eligible for ILNF funding,” the organization stated. DHH Coalition echoed its fellow lobbyist’s concerns. “CDGM considers (and strongly recommends the commission does as well) the deaf community as a minority group especially with its reliance on ASL/LSQ and on deaf culture,” the group said. “DHH Coalition agrees with CDGM’s assertion that the ILNF be modified accordingly to take this consideration into account.” – Reporting by Paul Park at ppark@thewirereport.ca

Replies flow to CRTC on Independent Local News Fund

Broadcast | | September 27, 2024

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Replies flow to CRTC on Independent Local News Fund

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