Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
www.crtc.gc.ca
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1.0 Introduction
1.1 Purpose of the report
This report provides a window on the broadcasting and telecommunications industries and is intended to foster an open and better-informed public discussion of broadcasting and telecommunications policies and issues.
The report contains disaggregated data on the Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications industries and markets. It provides a means to assess the impact of market and technological developments on, among other things, the cultural, social, and economic objectives of the Broadcasting Act and the Telecommunications Act (the Acts), and the effectiveness of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission's (CRTC or the Commission) regulatory frameworks and determinations in achieving those objectives.
Domestic and global competition, as well as consumer demands for greater control over the communications experience, has spurred rapid corporate and technological convergence in the communications landscape in Canada and abroad. The evolving borderless world of communications is a source of innovation and opportunities for carving out a special place within the broadcasting system for Canadian voices. The Commission invites parties to use this report to enrich their participation in the regulatory process.
In this report
The broadcasting and telecommunications industries are increasingly interwoven. As an example, dial-up Internet access service has given way to high-speed Internet service. This has contributed to and, with the introduction of higher wireline and wireless access speeds, will continue to contribute to the development and evolution of New Media broadcasting, which in turn offers a significant opportunity to further contribute to the broadcasting policy objectives of the Broadcasting Act. Communications companies are crossing what have been traditional boundaries between broadcasting and telecommunications.
The report provides a holistic view of the industries and their markets. The performance indicators and trends presented in last year's report have been updated. The report has also been updated to include recent developments in the broadcasting and telecommunications regulatory frameworks. A detailed discussion of the revised procedures that apply to staff-assisted mediation, final offer arbitration, and expedited hearings has also been included in this year's report.
