QUEST FOR CHEAPER TV MEANS TOUGH ‘ TRADE- OFFS.’
Canadians ask for cheaper television
OTTAWA — The head of Canada’s broadcasting regulator anticipates difficult “trade-offs” as Canadians clamour for cheaper television amid a proliferation of online services such as Netflix and a desire to protect jobs.
But CRTC chairman Jean-Pierre Blais wouldn’t weigh in on the federal Conservative government’s promise to force the “unbundling” of television packages, which has prompted warnings of fewer channel choices and higher costs for consumers.
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission launched an ambitious public consultation Thursday as it seeks to determine what Canadians are watching, and how they’re watching it.
The goal? To update the rules and regulations that guide and support Canada’s television industry, in all its many facets, so they match 21stcentury reality.
Some believe the stakes have never been higher as Canadian broadcasters and content producers face increased competition from online services that do not currently have the same regulatory hurdles like Canadian-content requirements.
At the same time, there is growing consumer anger over high prices, which has prompted the threat of political intervention, as iterated in this month’s throne speech with the Conservative government’s promise on bundles.
And there are as many as 60,000 jobs at stake, many of them involved in creating the Canadian content that proliferates the CBC, CTV, Global and other channels Canadians watch every day.
The CRTC is encouraging Canadians to write letters, call in, and even host debates about the future of television between now and Nov. 22 as the first phase in a comprehensive review of Canadian television, including online.
Blais said Parliament has ruled the broadcasting system “should help build who we are as a country,” which he said is why it’s vitally important Canadians participate in the dialogue as both consumers and citizens.
The next phase is scheduled for January, at which point Blais anticipates a more difficult discussion as the CRTC tries to weigh the needs and desires of consumers, broadcasters, program producers and others.
“Some people want to pay less,” he said. “And I respect that. But then, how do we make this great content available to Canadians? How do we ensure those choices of news and public information and sports and great drama continue to be made?
Blais would not comment directly on the government’s plan, saying: “I know what we’re doing. We’ve launched a conversation today with Canadians and we want to hear what they’re thinking.”