CRTC wants law changes to reflect influence of broadband
Canada’s telecommunications and broadcast regulator wants the ability to fine broadcasters who don’t play by the rules and more power over the placement of wireless infrastructure, its chairman told a Senate committee Tuesday. Ian Scott, the head of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, proposed the changes during a presentation to the Senate Standing Committee on Transport and Communications, which is studying how to modernize communications laws for the digital era. Legislative changes are needed to reflect broadband’s importance as more people use the internet to consume media and communicate, Scott said. The CRTC’s main challenge on the broadcast side is to encourage the production and promotion of Canadian content, Scott said. Broadcasting rules designed 50 years ago require radio and TV operators to contribute a percentage of revenue to such content, but this amount has stagnated as consumers access content online and traditional advertising and subscription revenue falls. Yet the CRTC didn’t recommend bringing new players such as Netflix into the existing framework. Instead, it wants the ability to make flexible deals with individual parties that ensure they contribute, whether it’s to local news, French language original programming or TV production. The CRTC’s only concrete legislative request on the broadcast side was for the ability to issue administrative monetary penalties to players that don’t respect their obligations. As it stands, the CRTC can revoke a broadcaster’s licence if they don’t comply with obligations, but that process takes a lot of time and money, Scott said. Revoking a licence is also an empty threat to digital players. They operate without licences thanks to the digital media exemption order passed in 1999. When questioned by senators on whether striking the exemption would be helpful, Scott said it’s not that simple. Operators must be Canadian to get a licence, so the CRTC can’t technically licence major content providers such as Netflix, YouTube and Amazon Prime. On the telecommunications side, the CRTC requested more jurisdiction over the placement of wireless equipment. The volume of antennae is expected to balloon as telecoms build 5G networks. Finding sites for these cells can be tricky due to competing jurisdiction and interests between telecoms, municipalities, provinces and the federal government, Scott said.