‘The tree may break at the trunk’

He had words for incumbents, content creators and the news media as he defended and applauded the CRTC’s direction under his watch.

He noted that incumbents have grumbled about new regulations, namely the CRTC’s decision to open up wholesale access to their fibre networks and to regulate wholesale roaming rates. He invited them to look to Australia and the United Kingdom where governments have or are considering structural separation between wholesale and retail broadband providers.

“If the winds of change blow too hard and they refuse to bend in the wind, the tree may break at the trunk rather than lose a few leaves,” he said.

Blais disagreed with criticism that the CRTC’s involvement in issues such as Internet data pricing curbs providers’ abilities to innovate, citing the cases of Bell Media and Vidéotron exempting their own content from data charges. (The CRTC quashed the practice.)

“We’re all for innovation … but when the drive to innovate steps on the toes of the principle of free and open access to content, we will intervene. Abuses of power in the system will not go unchecked,” he said.

Blais also called out content producers and creators for their uproar over a CRTC decision that relaxed the rules over what makes a production Canadian. The new standard is the same as the one used by the Canadian Audio-Visual Certification Office since 1995, he said, adding the CRTC cannot afford to wait to take action until the Minister of Canadian Heritage completes her review of Canada’s cultural policy.

“Those in the cultural sector who believe that we will be able to build a great protective wall around Canada, so we only tell narratives by Canadians to 36 million Canadians divided into two linguistic markets, are bound to be sorely disappointed,” he said.

Blais pointed to Drake, Ryan Gosling, Xavier Dolan and Lilly Singh as proof that Canada has talent.

“Canada’s hot,” Blais said, citing ousted Rogers CEO Guy Laurence’s assertion that the country is a global cultural powerhouse. Producers must shift their focus to promote stories about Canada to the world, not just to Canadians, he said.

“I will not foolishly attempt to stop the tide of connectivity through ineffective and nostalgic regulatory action,” he said.

Blais also criticized the news media for ink spilled over the cultural policy and hand-wringing over regulations on incumbents.

Still, the CRTC did mandate that broadcasters keep local television news despite continued cord-cutting. Canadians asked for it during the Let’s Talk TV proceedings, a major hearing of Blais’ term that resulted in smaller basic TV packages and à la carte channels.

It was this focus on consumers that drove Blais for the past four years, he said, adding he hopes the regulator earned the public’s trust over his term with decisions to boost accessibility for people with disabilities and introduce a wireless code.

Ultimately, he believes the commission has responded to both consumers and the disruptive nature of broadband.

“Content may be king, but the viewer is emperor. Choice is the imperative that drives communications today. Woe betide anyone who ignores that imperative.”