CRTC boss leaves with a bang

Blais speaks ‘truth to power’

Jean-Pierre Blais spared no criticism of the government and the communications industry Tuesday in his final speech as chairman of Canada’s telecom and broadcast regulator, blasting both for trying to preserve the status quo despite the disruptive force of broadband.

During his five-year tenure leading the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission — his term expires Saturday, and he did not reapply for the job — Blais contends the regulator broke the status quo and fundamentally changed its perspective by putting broadband, not voice, at the centre of the system.

“I’m deeply concerned by the fact that some people in industry and in government continue to bang their heads against the wall and argue on the margins of traditional institutions when we’re in the midst of a sea change,” Blais said at the Banff World Media Festival.

Blais went out with a bang, lobbing barbs at wireless providers, cabinet, Minister of Cultural Heritage Mélanie Joly, media creators, broadcasters and the CBC during the lengthy address.

“Well, I’m staying true to form I guess,” Blais said in an interview prior to the speech.

“The reason we have an independent regulator is to be able to speak truth to power.”

Blais, known for a commanding leadership style and consumerfriendly policies, has been no stranger to conflict.

While his words no longer directly indicate policy direction — the government has yet to name his successor — Blais predicted what will be on the CRTC’s radar in the next five years, including the death of print journalism, irrelevance of music radio quotas and a need for regulators to boost competition in the wireless market.

For the first two, he suggested government could support digitalfirst journalism schools and ditch “old-fashioned” music quotas. Instead of using quotas to promote Canadian music, he said broadcasters could spend money on events to showcase talent.

For wireless competition, he suggested a review of network sharing that he said prevents competition, the introduction of mobile virtual network operators or retail wireless price regulation.