New TV complaints bureau to open

Decision comes after many calls about slimmed-down packages

Starting next year consumers will have a new mechanism for resolving disputes with TV service providers when the country’s telecom watchdog expands its mandate to become a one-stop destination for complaints.

As of September 1, 2017, the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecommunications Services’ will deal with TV in addition to telephone and Internet service grievances and its administration of the country’s code of conduct for wireless carriers.

The aim is to create a single point of contact for concerns about billing, service delivery and other issues, federal broadcast regulator the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission said Thursday. The decision comes as the broadcast regulator fields hundreds of calls about the slimmed-down basic TV packages that came into effect March 1, The Canadian Press reported.

As of Thursday, the CRTC had received 587 calls from consumers about the new $25 basic TV packages, CRTC spokeswoman Patricia Valladao.

“But keep in mind, that may not only be complaints, but questions etc.,” she said in an email.

The Canadian Broadcast Standards Council will continue to handle complaints over violence, coarse language, equitable portrayals and journalistic practices.

“This is an important accomplishment, given that so many Canadians receive their telecom and TV services from the same provider, often bundled together,” said CCTS commissioner Howard Maker

Television providers licensed by the CRTC — content distributed over the Internet is excluded under a new media exemption — will be required to participate in the complaints organization by September 2017.

As well, the CRTC’s decision directs the CCTS to publish its annual budget and detail plans to raise consumer awareness of its services and for monitoring industry compliance.

The CCTS, in September 2017, will begin administering a TV service provider code requiring companies to provide easy-tounderstand agreements, transparency on fees and notifications of service changes that can affect terms including channel availability, bundled offerings or rental equipment prices.

Consumers must first contact their provider to resolve any disputes before resorting to the CCTS, which can require the company to apologize, cease a specified activity or pay monetary compensation of up to $5,000 per complaint in addition to any amount to be refunded to correct a billing error.

“The CCTS has a valuable role in providing telecom and TV customers with an independent means of resolving complaints with their service providers,” said John Lawford, executive director of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

“The CCTS has a valuable role in providing telecom and TV customers with an independent means of resolving complaints.” JOHN LAWFORD PUBLIC INTEREST ADVOCACY CENTRE