ARCHIVED - Broadcasting - Commission Letter - Quebecor Media Inc.
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LetterOttawa, 7 February 2005
Édouard Trépanier
Tel.: (514) 380-7313 Dear Mr. Trépanier: Re: Filing of 2004 annual report on cultural diversity We received your request to extend the deadline for filing TVA's annual report on cultural diversity to February 18, 2005. We would like to reiterate the concerns raised by the Commission in Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2004-94, Introduction to Broadcasting Decisions CRTC 2004-530 to 2004-540 renewing the licences of 21 French-language television stations, dated 3 December 2004. In this Public Notice, the Commission stated that it was not satisfied with TVA's performance as regards implementing its corporate cultural diversity plan. Although the initial plan was filed in September 2002 and the annual report was submitted in January 2004, the Commission noted that TVA had not yet undertaken concrete initiatives to implement its corporate cultural diversity plan. Furthermore, during the question period at the hearing, TVA stated that [translation] "it did not live up to what was expected and it would do whatever was necessary to fix what was left undone." While certain concerns were cleared up during the hearing, several others were left unresolved. In Public Notice 2004-94, the Commission stated that it required the licensee to show clear evidence in its next annual diversity report of the effort it had made and the concrete measures it had adopted to correct deficiencies in its corporate cultural diversity plan. We must remember that all broadcasting licensees have a responsibility to contribute to the reflection and portrayal of Canada's cultural diversity in furtherance of the policy objectives contained in section 3(1)(d) of the Act. Specifically, broadcasters share responsibility for assisting in the development of a broadcasting system that accurately reflects Canada's ethno-cultural minorities and Aboriginal peoples. Broadcasters must therefore ensure that the portrayal of such groups, through their presence and participation on screen, is accurate, fair and non-stereotypical. Furthermore, in Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2004-2, Introduction to Broadcasting Decisions CRTC 2004-6 to 2004-27 renewing the licences of 22 specialty services, the Commission noted that some broadcasters had already expanded their definition of diversity to include persons with disabilities. Indeed, the Commission considers that initiatives to make programming more reflective and inclusive of Canada's cultural diversity can, in many cases, be extended or adapted to ensure greater representation and a more fair and balanced reflection of persons with disabilities. Accordingly, the Commission called upon these and all other broadcasters to incorporate persons with disabilities into their cultural diversity corporate planning. This should be reflected in the annual reports on cultural diversity filed by broadcasters, beginning with that due to be filed in December 2004. Given these circumstances, the Commission approves your request for an extension to 18 February 2005. However, the Commission requires that TVA's annual report on cultural diversity appropriately reflect the concerns raised in Public Notice 2004-94. Please note that all correspondence will be placed in your file and thus available for review. Sincerely,
Marc O'Sullivan Date Modified: 2005-02-07 |
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