How to Participate in CRTC Public Proceedings

You can participate in public proceedings by sending your ideas, opinions and comments to the CRTC by submitting an intervention. Interventions help the CRTC update its policies and evaluate:

Public interest and consumer groups that need help offsetting the cost of participating in a broadcasting proceeding can apply to the Broadcasting Participation Fund.

How to submit your intervention

What information needs to be included:

Please note that section 26(1) of the CRTC Rules of Practice and Procedure sets out the information required in your intervention.

When and how to submit your intervention

Submit your intervention by 5 p.m. Vancouver time (8 p.m. Ottawa time) on the deadline date announced in the notice of consultation or indicated on the All Public Proceedings Open for Comment page by:

If you fax your intervention, make sure to:

When submitting an application-related intervention to the CRTC, you must also send a copy to the applicant.

If a document is sent by electronic means, the sender must keep proof that the document was sent and the acknowledgement of receipt for 180 days after the day on which it was filed.

How to find applications and public proceedings

To find a public proceeding, consult:

What is a notice of consultation?

Many proceedings are announced through notices of consultation. A notice of consultation will be issued for matters such as:

What is a Part 1 Proceeding?

A Part 1 Proceeding is initiated by an application filed by an applicant that is not the subject of a notice of consultation. For broadcasting, this would include applications for licence amendments, additions to the list of eligible satellite services and undue preference applications. For telecom, this would include applications related to disputes between providers (e.g. network interconnection, unjust discrimination) and requests for forbearance.

In this type of proceeding:

What is a hearing?

A hearing, announced in a notice of consultation, is a meeting where people can voice their opinions on the topic. A hearing is often used for new broadcasting licence applications, major policy issues or amendments to its broadcasting and telecommunications regulations. You can send written comments, and you can make a request to speak at the hearing.

Request to speak at a hearing

If you wish to speak at a hearing, you must file a written request, when you submit your intervention, and must:

Keep in mind that not all public proceedings have a hearing, for example, Part 1 Proceedings. For more information, see the notice of consultation for the proceeding that you are interested in.

Communications support

If you plan to attend a hearing and have not requested to speak and require communications support such as assistive listening devices and sign-language interpretation, let us know at least 20 days before the hearing begins so that we can make the necessary arrangements.

Privacy information about your comments

All the information that you provide as part of a public process becomes part of a publicly accessible file on the CRTC Web site. This information includes your personal information, such as your full name, email address, street address, telephone and fax number(s), and any other personal information you provide. It is posted on the Web site whether you send it in by mail, fax or through the CRTC's Web site. Information that is explicitly granted confidentiality will not be posted on the Web site.

If you send documents through the Web site, they are posted on the CRTC Web site exactly as you send them, including any personal information contained in them, and in the official language and format in which they are received. Documents not received electronically are made available in PDF format.

The personal information you provide will be used and may be disclosed for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled by the CRTC, or for a use consistent with that purpose.

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