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CRTC: Bell Misused $36 Mill. In "Community TV" Spending For Promotion
The CRTC has ruled that Bell Media seems to have deliberately taken a fund meant for local community programming and used it to produce shows that only served to promote the company.
The Commission pointed to things like a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Letterkenny being touted as a 'community effort.' The funds were supposed to be used to make shows that "reflected local communities." Instead the CRTC actually used the words "self-serving" to criticize the company for not adhering to the spirit of the rules and only trying to promote itself. It also found "programs" on the Raptors and other teams - co-owned by Bell - committed the same sin.
Broadcast Dialogue outlines other ways the broadcast giant broke the rules, but it hasn't come without consequences. Bell has been ordered, as a condition of licence, to pay about $18 million to the Canadian Media Fund for its attempt at passing off promotion as community service.
Is anyone surprised by this?
CRTC finds Bell misallocated $36M in community TV spending
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Re: CRTC: Bell Misused $36 Mill. In "Community TV" Spending For Promotion
This is kind of funny and sort of typically Canadian.
Bell gets called out by the CRTC for misallocating $36 million in free money which was to be used for community TV spending. In fact they use the money promoting their own shows and productions that happen to be shot in a few cities and towns. So the programs are more about Bell's shows and behind the scenes rather than the city or town. Yeah self serving would be about right I think..
What is amusing is the fact that they are to pay half of the money back to the Canadian Media Fund. Money that wasn't Bell's in the first place. Sort of like saying you stole the jar of cookies but can still keep half. Just put the jar back on the counter so the other kids can have the half that is still there.
Makes me laugh when compared to the FCC who fined Sinclair Media $48 million a few months back. Their crime was lack of candor and misleading the FCC when applying to purchase Tribune Media. Sinclair also had a few other things being investigated by the FCC, but Sinclair's CEO actually thanked the FCC for their diligence and resolution in the decision. Thanks for fining us $48 million? I am thinking the fine was to also make the other FCC investigations on Sinclair go away.
Wonder if Bell thanked the CRTC because they only needed to give half of the fund money back and still get to keep the other $18 million??
Last edited by paterson1 (October 25, 2020 1:20 pm)