Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
Symbol of the Government of Canada

Results-Based Action Plan

Implementation of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act

2011-2014

General information

Federal institution:


Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
http://www.crtc.gc.ca

Minister responsible:

The Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages

Senior officials responsible for implementation of section 41 of the OLA

Konrad von Finckenstein, Chairman  
Robert A. Morin, Secretary General 
Daniel Finestone, Official Languages Champion (Acting)

General mandate of the federal institution: The Canadian Radio-television and
Telecommunications Commission (the Commission)
was established by Parliament in 1968.
It is an independent public authority
constituted under the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act
(R.S.C. 1985, c. C-22, as amended), and it
reports to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.
The Commission is vested with the authority to
regulate and supervise the Canadian
broadcasting and telecommunications systems.
The Commission derives its regulatory authority over
broadcasting from the Broadcasting Act
(S.C. 1991, c. 11, as amended). Its
telecommunications regulatory
powers stem from the Telecommunications Act
(S.C. 1993, c. 38, as amended) and the
Bell Canada Act (S.C. 1987, c. 19, as amended).

National coordinator responsible for implementation of section 41:

Renée Gauthier
Senior Manager
French Language Policy and Programming
819-997-4835
renee.gauthier@crtc.gc.ca
Sectoral coordinators

Peter Foster
Director General, Television Policy and Applications
819-997-4671
peter.foster@crtc.gc.ca

Mario Bertrand
Director, Competition, Implementation and Technology
819-994-0294
mario.bertrand@crtc.gc.ca

Imen Arfaoui
Engineer, Convergence Policy
Policy Development and Research
819-997-4663
imen.arfaoui@crtc.gc.ca

Michael Craig
Manager, Radio Policy and Applications
819-997-9394
Michael.craig@crtc.gc.ca

Claude Brault
Senior Analyst
Distribution Policy and Applications
819-997-6064
claude.brault@crtc.gc.ca


Summary of main progress expected in the following categories of action:

For the years 2011-2014, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) plans to undertake the following activities pursuant  to  section 41 of the Official Languages Act (OLA): awareness, consultation, communications, coordination, liaison and accountability. As an administrative tribunal, the CRTC neither manages programs or services, nor funds activities. However, several of its activities, including developing regulatory policies, reviewing existing policies, issuing or renewing licences, and approving tariffs, do contribute to the implementation of section 41 of the OLA.

Awareness
On an ongoing basis, the CRTC organizes awareness and information sessions on section 41 of the OLA and on the needs and priorities of official language minority communities (OLMC). Between 2008 and 2011, the Commission carried out various activities to raise awareness among employees, senior management and Commissioners of the objectives of section 41 of the OLA. Among other activities, the Commission implemented lens 41(impact analysis of Commission’s decision-making processes on OLMC) and made impact analysis routine. The CRTC also developed an internal policy and guidelines on section 41 of the OLA. Approved by the Chairman of the Commission, the policy will be released and posted on the Official Languages and Minority Communities internet page of the CRTC’s Web site. Awareness and information sessions will be delivered to all Commissioners, managers and sectoral coordinators informing them of their roles and responsibilities as defined in the policy. Also, the Official Languages and Minority Communities page on the Commission Web site, containing the reports and action plans for the implementation of section 41 of the OLA, as well as information on the CRTC-OLMC discussion group and minutes of the group’s annual meetings, is also available to all CRTC employees. These initiatives marked a real and lasting change in the CRTC’s organizational culture. Over the next three years, the Commission will continue its awareness efforts by reiterating the Commission’s obligations and the roles and responsibilities of all stakeholders at orientation sessions in the context of CRTC-U (ie. the CRTC orientation program), Commission meetings, management meetings and team meetings in all sectors of the CRTC.

Consultations
The Commission will ensure that the relationships between the CRTC and the OLMC established since 2007 in the context of the CRTC-OLMC discussion group are maintained. Over the next three years, the Commission will continue to foster discussion with OLMC by e-mail and telephone exchanges and the CRTC/OLMC discussion group will hold at least one annual meeting.

Communications
The OLMC are systematically and regularly kept informed of all Commission proceedings that affect them to ensure that they have an opportunity to participate. OLMCs receive the information in two ways: by e-mail as the proceedings are posted on the CRTC’s Web site and in the calendar made available to OLMC on the Official Languages and Minority Communities page of the Commission Web site, at
http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/5000/lo_ol/ol-lo.htm.  

Coordination and liaison
The Commission will continue its cooperation with its federal partners, including Canadian Heritage and the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, to foster information sharing. The Commission will take part in national coordinators’ meetings organized by Canadian Heritage in Ottawa and the Official Languages champion will attend meetings organized at his/her level. Where necessary, the Commission will provide opportunities for cooperation with the OLMC in the regions, via Canadian Heritage. The Commission will also consult the best practices and tools posted on Gateway 41 and will identify a federal partner for exchanging practices and initiatives for implementing section 41 of the OLA.

Commission activities in connection with the implementation of section 41 of the OLA
The CRTC’s activities, such as issuing, renewing and amending licences, developing new policies and reviewing existing policies, and regulating and overseeing all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system under the Broadcasting Act, as well as certain activities under the Telecommunications Act, will contribute to achieving the objectives of section 41 of the OLA. In particular, the Commission will renew the licences of English language broadcasters, and will establish the policy framework as well as will renew the licenses of the public broadcaster and French-language broadcasters, taking into account the interests, concerns and realities of the OLMC when these participate in CRTC proceedings

Accountability
The Commission will develop measurement instruments, such as surveys, to assess the progress made and the results of its initiatives under activities: awareness (A), consultations (B),communications (C).

A. AWARENESS (In-house activities)
Creating lasting changes in federal institution organizational culture; all employees and managers are aware of and understand their responsibilities regarding section 41 of the Official Languages Act and OLMC.

Planned activities to achieve the expected result

Expected outputs

 

Indicators to measure progress made in achieving the expected result

Expected result

Within all sectors, hold awareness and information sessions for employees and senior management, including regional offices,  regarding section 41 of the OLA and the impact of CRTC proceedings on OLMCs:

  • At team, senior management and Commission meetings;
  • At orientation sessions for new employees and new Commissioners at CRTC-U;
  • At meetings of the internal OL committee chaired by the CRTC’s OL champion
  • Timetable and agendas for planned sessions;
  • Sessions delivered to employees and senior management

 

  • Number of employees and Commissioners and regional offices receiving this information
  • % of employees who understand their responsibilities concerning section 41 of the OLA
  • Degree of awareness of their commitment and of the CRTC’s obligations and the impact of CRTC proceedings on OLMC
  • Degree of integration of issues concerning OLMCs:
    • Number of analysis documents;
    • Number of proceedings;
    • Number of decisions.
  • Degree of awareness of obligations and responsibilities

Maintaining lasting changes in the Commission’s organizational culture; all employees, managers and Commissioners are aware of and understand their responsibilities regarding section 41 of the OLA and OLMC; analysts are able to identify the issues affecting OLMC and to incorporate them into their impact analyses; the Commissioners and the Chairman constantly made aware of the impact of their decisions on the communities

Prepare Frequencies (internal tool of communications to disseminate information swiftly and efficiently, sent out to all the employees of the CRTC, including regional offices, through emails in French and English as well as a link to the message on the intranet of the CRTC) reiterating the objectives of section 41 of the OLA and implementation of lens 41 using the document available on the intranet titled Obligations of the CRTC with respect to section 41 of the Official Languages Act, Part VII, Enhancement of English and French:

  • Material for distribution
  • Handouts
    • Frequencies
    • E-mails

 

Organize activities through the internal OL committee to promote the full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society  

  • Interactive activity – “Guess Who? Guess What?”.
  • Activities to celebrate La Francophonie and Linguistic Duality Day
  • Number of participants.
  • Degree of awareness of linguistic duality

Gather information from OLMCs to better identify their needs and realities by identifying barriers

  • Questionnaires.
  • Meetings with the discussion group.  
  • Minutes of meetings

 

  • Degree of employee familiarity with the concerns and needs of OLMCs

 

Publish, disseminate and implement an internal policy and guidelines on official languages integrating the obligations of the CRTC under the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act.

  • Internal policies and guidelines posted on the intranet
  • Frequencies / awareness and information messages           
  • Degree of commitment on the part of the OL champion                    
  • Level of participation 
  • Degree of awareness, understanding and knowledge of OL, the Commission’s obligations and the accountability structure

B. CONSULTATIONS (OLMC-CRTC Discussion Group)
The CRTC consults the public through its public proceedings. Relevant proceedings to OLMC are reflected in section F of this report. With respect to this category of intervention, the Commission created a forum for informal and structured discussion with the OLMCs (the discussion group created in 2007), which is mandated to identify ways and ensure the follow-up required to maximize the communities’ participation in the CRTC’s public proceedings and take their realities into account in the Commission’s analysis and discussions leading to its decisions.
For additional information, go to http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/5000/lo_ol/olb-lob.htm.

Creation of lasting relationships between the federal institution and OLMCs; the federal institution and OLMCs understand each other’s needs and mandates.

Planned activities to achieve the expected result

Expected outputs

 

Indicators to measure progress made in achieving the expected result

Expected result

Hold annual and virtual meetings of the CRTC-OLMC discussion group:

  • Chaired by the national coordinator;
  • With participation of sectoral coordinators and experts, analysts; lawyers, and managers, including a manager from the telecommunications sector
  • Agendas
  • Minutes
  • Calendars   
  • Meetings
  • Number of meetings each year
  • % of participants versus guests
  • Degree of satisfaction of all participants
  • Level of understanding among OLMC of the Commission’s proceedings    
  • Level of understanding of Commission’s employees including sectoral coordinators of OLMCs’issues
  • Degree of information sharing by sectoral coordinators             
  • Degree of exchanges and level of cooperation between OLMC and Commission staff

Maintain lasting relationships between the Commission and OLMC; clear understanding of each other’s mandates; the Commission, sectoral coordinators and managers are aware of the needs and priorities of OLMCs and share the information with their colleagues; the OLMCs are better informed of and participate in relevant proceedings 

Participate in various meetings with OLMC, coordinated by Canadian Heritage and/or other departments and central and community agencies

C. COMMUNICATIONS (Transmission of information to OLMC)
Aware of OLMCs’ needs and issues, the CRTC staff transmits up-to-date information to allow OLMC to participate in relevant proceedings

Planned activities to achieve the expected result

Expected outputs

 

Indicators to measure progress made in achieving the expected result

Expected result

Update and manage content on the Commission’s Web site page for OL and OLMC:

  • Post information and relevant links
  • Web page:
    • Action plans
    • Reports 
    • Minutes
    • Calendars 
    • List of members
    • Links
    • Messages

 

  • Degree of use of Web page.             
  • Degree of OLMC access to up-to-date information  
  • Quality and relevance of content of material disseminated
  • Level of visibility of CRTC proceedings and activities  
  • Level of participation by OLMC in Commission proceedings
  • Number of contacts between OLMC and Commission’s employees including sectoral coordinators and managers

 

OLMC and the Commission show a greater mutual understanding of respective mandate and expectations; hence, they receive relevant and up-to-date information and participate in Commission proceedings that affect them. The OLMC are more aware of contacts and their sectoral coordinators and are able to contact them for specific information

Regularly inform OLMCs of relevant CRTC practices and proceedings via e-mail and informal exchanges:

  • Reply to inquiries, calls and questions from OLMCs by involving sectoral coordinators and experts 

 

  • E-mails, telephone calls      

 

Contribute to Bulletin 41-42

  • Articles.

D. COORDINATION AND LIAISON
Cooperation with multiple partners to enhance OLMC development and vitality and to share best practices.

Planned activities to achieve the expected result

Expected outputs

 

Indicators to measure progress made in achieving the expected result

Expected result

Create and maintain regular contacts with federal partners for implementation of section 41:

  • Take part in interdepartmental groups.
  • Take part in meetings of national coordinators and workshops
  • Meetings  
  • Shared tools
  • Effectiveness of participation. 
  • Level of cooperation and exchanges of information.

 

Cooperation with multiple partners to enhance OLMC development and vitality and to share best practices

Share information among sectoral coordinators within the CRTC to exchange and coordinate outcomes of meetings  

  • Extent to which outcomes are included in analyses  

 

Where necessary, conduct studies and collaborative research (basic data, trends, OLMC diversity and geographic distribution, impact of technology)

  • Study and research reports

 

Identify a federal partner to share ideas and best practices.

  • Partnership established

 

  • Effectiveness of the partnership;
  • Number of exchanges

Consult Gateway 41 on a regular basis.

  • Number of Gateway visits per month  
  • Tools and best practices identified   
  • Extent to which Gateway 41 is the source of new ideas and sharing of best practices 

E. FUNDING AND PROGRAM DELIVERY
As an administrative tribunal, the CRTC neither manages programs or services, nor funds activities. However, the CRTC, in carrying out its mandate with respect to broadcasting, issues, renews or amends broadcasting licences, develops new policies and examines existing policies, and regulates and oversees all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system. These activities are carried out pursuant to the Broadcasting Act. Also, the Commission exercises the powers and performs the duties conferred on it by the Telecommunications Act (TA) so as to achieve the Canadian telecommunications policy objectives and ensure that the services and tariffs of Canadian common carriers are in compliance with section 27 of the TA. A number of these activities contribute to the achievement of the objectives set out in section 41 of the OLA. The list that follows is not exhaustive.

F. CRTC ACTIVITIES RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF SECTION 41 OF THE OLA
As an administrative tribunal, the CRTC neither manages programs or services, nor funds activities. However, the CRTC, in carrying out its mandate with respect to broadcasting, issues, renews or amends broadcasting licences, develops new policies and examines existing policies, and regulates and oversees all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system. These activities are carried out pursuant to the Broadcasting Act. Also, the Commission exercises the powers and performs the duties conferred on it by the Telecommunications Act (TA) so as to achieve the Canadian telecommunications policy objectives and ensure that the services and tariffs of Canadian common carriers are in compliance with section 27 of the TA. A number of these activities contribute to the achievement of the objectives set out in section 41 of the OLA. The list that follows is not exhaustive.

Expected results:
  • Participation of OLMCs in proceedings that have an impact on them;
  • Promoting access to official language minority broadcasting services;
  • Encouraging broadcasting licensees’ efforts with a view to increasing production and broadcasting of regionally produced programs;
  • Fostering full recognition and use of English and French in Canadian society.

Planned activities to achieve the expected result

Expected outputs

Indicators to measure progress made in achieving the expected result

Expected result

Inform OLMC about upcoming public hearings in order to maximize their participation in hearings affecting OLMCs regarding

  • The issuing, renewing and amending of broadcasting licences;
  •  The development of new policies or review of existing policies and other decisions:
    • By implementing lens 41, meaning, taking into account the impacts of proceedings on the OLMC

Review CRTC broadcasting and telecommunications policies

  • By implementing lens 41.
  • Questions, conditions, expectations and encouragements  taking into account OLMC’s needs in public notices of consultation, regulatory policies, decisions, where appropriate
  • Level of OLMC participation 
  • Quality of interventions 
  • OLMC issues and interests are taken into account and integrated
    • Number (enumeration) of OLMC relevant proceedings
    • Number (enumeration) of proceedings contributing to the promotion of linguistic duality in Canadian society 

OLMC participate in the proceedings that affect them; their needs are taken into account in the Commission’s analysis and decision-making processes; the Commission’s proceedings contribute to enhancing the reflection of OLMC within the broadcasting system and to increasing access to services in both official languages promoting linguistic duality within Canadian society

G. ACCOUNTABILITY

Planned activities to achieve the expected result

Expected outputs

Indicators to measure progress made in achieving the expected result

Expected result

Create measurement instruments to evaluate progress made following implementation of activities under categories of action (A, B, C)

  • Surveys
  • Questionnaires

 

  • Progress made
    • Understanding
    • Integration (lens 41)
    • Accountability
    • Participation by OLMC
    • Exchanges and sharing

Full integration of section 41 of the OLA and the OLMC perspective into the commission’s practices.

Prepare list of proceedings, analyses, decisions that implement lens 41

  • Analysis
  • Notice of Consultation
  • Proceedings
  • Decisions
  • Section F of the Report on results (CRTC activities)

 

  • Number of documents, proceedings, decisions that integrate section 41 objectives.

 

Incorporate objectives of section 41 of the OLA into annual reports (RPP and DPR)

  • Paragraphs in the annual reports (RPP and DPR)     

 

  • departmental planning and reporting mechanisms integrate section 41 objectives

Develop and coordinate reports on results  

  • Reports on results 
  • Degree of compliance
  • Degree of progress

Distribution List

Daniel Jean
Sous-ministre
Patrimoine canadien
25, rue Eddy
Gatineau (Québec) K1A 0M5


M. Graham Fraser
Commissaire aux langues officielles
344, rue Slater
Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0T8


Simon Larouche
Greffier du Comité permanent des langues officielles de la Chambre des communes
131, rue Queen, sixième étage
Chambre des communes
Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0A6
Canada
 

Danielle Labonté
Greffier du Comité permanent des langues officielles du Sénat
Comité sénatorial des langues officielles
Le Sénat du Canada
Ottawa (Ontario)
Canada, K1A 0A4


Etienne Alary
Francis Potié
Association de la presse francophone (APF)
267, rue Dalhousie
Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 7E3


Suzanne Bossé
Serge Quinty
Fédération des communautés francophones et acadiennes du Canada (FCFA)
Place de la francophonie
450, rue Rideau, bureau 300
Ottawa (Ontario) K1N 5Z4
Téléphone: (613)241-7600
Télécopieur: (613)241-6046
Courriel: info@fcfa.ca


Fortner Anderson
David Teasdale
Quebec production Committee
4200 boul. Saint-Laurent, bureau 708
Montréal  (Québec)  H2W 2R2
cqgcr@cam.org
www.cqgcr.ca


Eric Dubeau
Simone Saint-Pierre
Fédération culturelle canadienne-française (FCCF)
Place de la francophonie
450, rue Rideau, bureau 405
Ottawa (Ontario)  K1N 5Z4
Courriel : fccf@zof.ca


Benoit Henry
Alliance nationale de l’industrie musicale (ANIM)
390 Rideau, CP 20171
Ottawa, K1N 5Y0 


English Language Arts network
Guy Rodgers
(514) 935-3312
guyrodgers@quebec-elan.org


François Coté
Alliance des radios communautaires du Canada (ARC)
325, rue Dalhousie, 2e étage
Ottawa (Ontario)  K1N 7G2


Sylvie Peltier
Nathalie Mcneil
Alliance des producteurs francophones du Canada (APFC)
66, rue Muriel, suite 210 Ottawa, Ontario, K1S 4E1
Ottawa (Ontario)  K1K 2Z7
Canada


Sylvia Martin-Laforge
Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN)
1255 University Avenue, Suite 1000
Montreal (Quebec)
H3B 3W6
Telephone: (514) 868-9044, (toll-free): 1 (877) 868-9044
Fax: (514) 868-9049
info@qcgn.ca


Laurette Gallibois
Hugh Maynard
Quebec Association for Anglophone Community Radio
CP 100, St-Augustine, QC G0G 2R0


Gaël Corbineau
Fédération des francophones de Terre-Neuve et du Labrador (FFTNL)
65, chemin Ridge, bureau 233
St-John's (Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador)
A1B 4P5 Canada


Aline Bouffard -Cohen
Société Saint-Thomas-d’Aquin (SSTA)
5, Ave Maris Stella
Summerside (Î.-P.-É.)
C1N 6M9


Jean Léger
Fédération acadienne de la Nouvelle-Écosse
La Maison acadienne- 54, rue Queen
Dartmouth (Nouvelle-Écosse)
B2Y 1G3


Assemblée de la francophonie de l’Ontario
1173 ch. Cyrville, bureau 306
Ottawa (Ontario)  K1J 7S6


Daniel Boucher
Société franco-manitobaine
383, boulevard Provencher, pièce 212
Saint-Boniface (Manitoba)  R2H 0G9


Marc Masson
Assemblée communautaire fransaskoise
2445 - 13 avenue (bureau 101),
Regina, Saskatchewan, S4P 0W1


Isabelle Laurin
Association canadienne-française de l’Alberta
303-8627 91 Street NW,
Edmonton, AB T6C 3N1


Christine Sotteau
Fédération des francophones de la Colombie-Britannique
1575, 7e avenue Ouest
Vancouver (CB) V6J 1S1


Léo-Paul Provencher
Fédération Franco-TéNOise
5016 48th St
Yellowknife NT, X1A 2N9


Régis St-Pierre
Nancy Power
Association Franco-yukonnaise
302 rue Strickland, Whitehorse, Yukon
Y1A 2K1


Janis Lundman and Gary Saxe, Co-chairs
Kirwan Cox, representative
Quebec English-language Production Committee
5 St-Anselme
Rigaud, Quebec
J0P 1P0
450-451-4664
qepc@bell.net


Francine Lantin
Association des francophones du Nunavut
CP 880, Iqaluit, NU   X0A 0H0


Bruno Godin
Société de l’Acadie du Nouveau-Brunswick
702, rue Principale, bureau 204
Petit-Rocher, NB
E8J 1V1


Jean-Pierre Caissie
Carol Ann Pilon
Front des réalisateurs indépendants du Canada
450 rue Rideau, bureau 405 
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 5Z4

http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/acrtc.htm