ARCHIVED - Broadcasting Notice of Consultation CRTC 2009-576
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| Ottawa, 14 September 2009 | ||
Call for comments on the proposed addition of Russia Today to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis |
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1. |
The Commission received a request dated 10 July 2009 from the Ethnic Channels Group Limited (ECGL) for the addition of Russia Today, a non-Canadian English-language news service, to the lists of eligible satellite services for distribution on a digital basis (the digital lists). | |
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2. |
ECGL described Russia Today as a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week English-language news and information service targeted to an international audience. | |
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3. |
In Regulatory frameworks for broadcasting distribution undertakings and discretionary programming services – Regulatory policy, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2008-100, 30 October 2008 (Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100), the Commission confirmed the effectiveness of its approach to authorizing non-Canadian English- or French-language services. It noted that its competitiveness test, based primarily on overlap between non-Canadian and Canadian pay and specialty services, reflects the objectives of the Broadcasting Act in that it gives priority to the distribution of Canadian services while recognizing the choice, diversity and alternative perspectives that can be added to the system by the availability of non-Canadian programming services. As set out in that public notice, the Commission considers that this approach recognizes the importance to Canadian services of a separate Canadian rights market and assists those services by encouraging direct partnerships with non-Canadian services or by the licensing of specific programs. | |
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In regard to non-Canadian news services, however, the Commission considers a more open-entry approach to be consistent with the importance it places on a diversity of editorial points of view. Accordingly, the Commission stated in paragraph 246 of Broadcasting Public Notice 2008-100 that
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5. |
Consistent with the above, and in particular with the importance placed by the Commission on a diversity of editorial points of view, parties wishing to submit that Russia Today should not be authorized for distribution in Canada should provide detailed supporting evidence for their position. Such supporting evidence might consist, for example, of transcripts or tapes of actual programs aired on Russia Today, along with details as to the date or dates on which they aired. | |
Call for comments |
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6. |
The Commission calls for comments on ECGL’s request for the addition of Russia Today to the digital lists. Parties submitting comments on the request should also submit a true copy of their comments to the Canadian sponsor, ECGL, at the following address:
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7. |
Proof that comments have been sent to ECGL must accompany the original version of the comments sent to the Commission. | |
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8. |
Comments on ECGL’s request must be received by the Commission no later than 5 October 2009. A copy of the comments must be received by ECGL no later than the deadline for receipt of comments by the Commission. | |
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9. |
ECGL may file a written reply to any comments received concerning its request. This reply should be filed with the Commission, and a copy sent to the person who submitted the comments, by no later than 15 October 2009. | |
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The Commission will not formally acknowledge comments. It will, however, fully consider all comments, and they will form part of the public record of the proceeding, provided that the procedures for filing set out below have been followed. | |
Procedures for filing comments |
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11. |
Interested parties can file their comments to the Secretary General of the Commission in only one of the following formats: | |
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by using the |
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by mail to |
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or |
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by fax at |
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| The Commission advises those who file and serve by electronic means to exercise caution when using e-mail for service of documents or notification, as it may be difficult to establish that service has occurred. | ||
| Parties must ensure that, before initiating service through electronic mode, they will be able to satisfy the Commission, upon request, that service of the notification was completed. | ||
| Submissions longer than five pages should include a summary. | ||
| Please number each paragraph of your submission. In addition, where the comment is filed by electronic means, the line ***End of document*** should be entered following the last paragraph of the document, as an indication that the document has not been damaged during electronic transmission. | ||
| Important notice | ||
| Note that all information that parties provide as part of this public process, except information granted confidentiality, whether sent by postal mail, facsimile, e-mail or through the Commission’s website at www.crtc.gc.ca, becomes part of a publicly accessible file and will be posted on the Commission’s website. This information includes personal information, such as full names, e-mail addresses, postal/street addresses, telephone and facsimile numbers, and any other personal information parties provide. | ||
| The personal information that parties provide will be used and may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled by the Commission, or for a use consistent with that purpose. | ||
| Documents received electronically or otherwise will be put on the Commission’s website in their entirety exactly as received, including any personal information contained therein, in the official language and format in which they are received. Documents not received electronically will be available in PDF format. | ||
| Please note that the information that parties provide to the Commission as part of this public process is entered into an unsearchable database dedicated to this specific public process. This database is accessible only from the web page of this particular public process. As a result, a general search of the Commission’s website with the help of either its own search engine or a third-party search engine will not provide access to the information that was provided as part of this public process. | ||
| The Commission encourages interested parties to monitor the public examination file and the Commission’s website for additional information that they may find useful when preparing their comments. | ||
| Examination of documents | ||
| A list of all comments will be available on the Commission’s website. An electronic version of all comments submitted will be accessible from this list. To access the list, select "Lists of interventions/comments" under "Public Proceedings" from the Commission’s website. | ||
| Documents are also available during normal office hours at the local address provided in this notice and at the Commission offices and documentation centres directly involved with these applications, or, upon request, within two (2) working days, at any other Commission offices and documentation centres. | ||
| Location of Commission offices | ||
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Toll-free telephone: 1-877-249-2782 Toll-free TDD: 1-877-909-2782 |
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Les Terrasses de la Chaudière Central Building 1 Promenade du Portage, Room 206 Gatineau, Quebec J8X 4B1 Tel.: 819-997-2429 Fax: 819-994-0218 |
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| Regional offices | ||
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Metropolitan Place 99 Wyse Road Suite 1410 Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B3A 4S5 Tel.: 902-426-7997 Fax: 902-426-2721 |
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205 Viger Avenue West Suite 504 Montréal, Quebec H2Z 1G2 Tel.: 514-283-6607 |
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55 St. Clair Avenue East Suite 624 Toronto, Ontario M4T 1M2 Tel.: 416-952-9096 |
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Kensington Building 275 Portage Avenue Suite 1810 Winnipeg, Manitoba R3B 2B3 Tel.: 204-983-6306 TDD: 204-983-8274 Fax: 204-983-6317 |
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2220 – 12th Avenue Suite 620 Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 0M8 Tel.: 306-780-3422 |
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10405 Jasper Avenue Suite 520 Edmonton, Alberta T5J 3N4 Tel.: 780-495-3224 |
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580 Hornby Street Suite 530 Vancouver, British Columbia V6C 3B6 Tel.: 604-666-2111 TDD: 604-666-0778 Fax: 604-666-8322 |
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| Secretary General | ||
| This document is available in alternative format upon request and may also be examined in PDF format or in HTML at the following Internet site: http://www.crtc.gc.ca. | ||
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