1 of 1- RadioActive
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Ex-CRTC Vice-Chair: The Commission Is Abandoning Broadcasting
Peter Menzies is something of a maverick former CRTC member, but that doesn't mean he's wrong.
In a major piece in the Globe & Mail, its former vice-chair complains that the CRTC's recent announcement that it was suspending almost all of its regular duties to implement the provisions of Bill C-11 (which, among other things, will force U.S. streamers to include CanCon in their programming) as well as taking the lead on the ill-considered Online News Act (aka Bill C-18) is problematic.
He insists it's an abrogation of the actual purpose of the Commission and believes it could result in chaos, especially if Canuck broadcasters take advantage of having no real oversight for at least the next two years.
"No one said that, in exchange, the CRTC would – to all intents and purposes – be required to abandon what has for decades been its job No. 1: the regulation of radio, television and cable. The backlog that these delays will create will take years to clear and, in the meantime, there is a very real risk that the innovation vital to keep Canada’s broadcasting industries healthy will grind to a halt."
With its new focus on the internet, the CRTC has abandoned broadcasting
- Bristol
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Peter Menzies and Konrad von Finckenstein called this issue out during the C11/ C18 (in particular) hearing processes. Menzies underscores the meaning for the Canadian Radio Industry today. This is not good news.
- RadioActive
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Re: Ex-CRTC Vice-Chair: The Commission Is Abandoning Broadcasting
Alex Pierson had Menzies on Tuesday morning, repeating his warnings about how this "24 month pause" could set existing Canadian radio stations back for years.
He said one thing that I found odd, and I wonder if anyone here can clarify. He noted one of the possible effects of the "pause" would be if a radio station were broadcasting, say, all jazz and wanted to change its format to news. He claims they wouldn't be able to do it, because the CRTC would be occupied elsewhere and wouldn't be around to approve such a change.
In his words, they'd be "stuck" with a failing format for at least two years.
I think this is a bit over the top. Is any of that claim true? As restrictive as the CRTC rules can be, beyond the original issuance of a licence, I don't think they have any say over a station's format decision.
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Thread Starter- RadioAaron
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RadioActive wrote:
Alex Pierson had Menzies on Tuesday morning, repeating his warnings about how this "24 month pause" could set existing Canadian radio stations back for years.
He said one thing that I found odd, and I wonder if anyone here can clarify. He noted one of the possible effects of the "pause" would be if a radio station were broadcasting, say, all jazz and wanted to change its format to news. He claims they wouldn't be able to do it, because the CRTC would be occupied elsewhere and wouldn't be around to approve such a change.
In his words, they'd be "stuck" with a failing format for at least two years.
I think this is a bit over the top. Is any of that claim true? As restrictive as the CRTC rules can be, beyond the original issuance of a licence, I don't think they have any say over a station's format decision.
You need permission to change in or out of a "specialty" format, of which Jazz and Talk are both.
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According to the Departmental Results Report 2021-2022 released in December of 2022, the CRTC planned to have 398 full time equivalents tasked with "Regulate and Supervise the Communications System" and an additional 149 full time equivalents for internal support services. The overall budget is over $73 million annually. It is incredible to think that it's going to take all of these people and all that money to screw in the C-18 light bulb.
COVID gave the CRTC an excuse to drag their feet for three years on routine regulatory matters, and now they have another excuse. The fact is that probably 90% of what they do can all be done from laptop computers remotely. The Auditor General should take a close look.
- RadioActive
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Re: Ex-CRTC Vice-Chair: The Commission Is Abandoning Broadcasting
Alex Pierson had Menzies on Tuesday morning, repeating his warnings about how this "24 month pause" could set existing Canadian radio stations back for years.
He said one thing that I found odd, and I wonder if anyone here can clarify. He noted one of the possible effects of the "pause" would be if a radio station were broadcasting, say, all jazz and wanted to change its format to news. He claims they wouldn't be able to do it, because the CRTC would be occupied elsewhere and wouldn't be around to approve such a change.
In his words, they'd be "stuck" with a failing format for at least two years.
I think this is a bit over the top. Is any of that claim true? As restrictive as the CRTC rules can be, beyond the original issuance of a licence, I don't think they have any say over a station's format decision.You need permission to change in or out of a "specialty" format, of which Jazz and Talk are both.
So unless something changes, that means new P.D. Mike Bendixen will be stuck with AM 640 as a talker regardless of what he decides to do with the place. Good to know!
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Thread Starter- RadioAaron
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Re: Ex-CRTC Vice-Chair: The Commission Is Abandoning Broadcasting
Alex Pierson had Menzies on Tuesday morning, repeating his warnings about how this "24 month pause" could set existing Canadian radio stations back for years.
He said one thing that I found odd, and I wonder if anyone here can clarify. He noted one of the possible effects of the "pause" would be if a radio station were broadcasting, say, all jazz and wanted to change its format to news. He claims they wouldn't be able to do it, because the CRTC would be occupied elsewhere and wouldn't be around to approve such a change.
In his words, they'd be "stuck" with a failing format for at least two years.
I think this is a bit over the top. Is any of that claim true? As restrictive as the CRTC rules can be, beyond the original issuance of a licence, I don't think they have any say over a station's format decision.You need permission to change in or out of a "specialty" format, of which Jazz and Talk are both.
So unless something changes, that means new P.D. Mike Bendixen will be stuck with AM 640 as a talker regardless of what he decides to do with the place. Good to know!
Those rules don’t apply to AM
- RadioActive
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Re: Ex-CRTC Vice-Chair: The Commission Is Abandoning Broadcasting
So this is an FM rule only? Why in the world would the CRTC mandate that difference? That's insane. Both are broadcasting stations and should be under the same regs. It may also mean your theory about taking talk to a Corus FM is off the table for the two-year hiatus.
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Thread Starter- RadioAaron
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So this is an FM rule only? Why in the world would the CRTC mandate that difference? That's insane. Both are broadcasting stations and should be under the same regs. It may also mean your theory about taking talk to a Corus FM is off the table for the two-year hiatus.
The difference is the CRTC acknowledges that AM is in its final days and allows for a “Whatever works” approach.
It theoretically would take an FM move off the table, but it didn’t stop them in Calgary, and that was even before the CRTC shutdown.
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So this is an FM rule only? Why in the world would the CRTC mandate that difference? That's insane. Both are broadcasting stations and should be under the same regs. It may also mean your theory about taking talk to a Corus FM is off the table for the two-year hiatus.
The difference is the CRTC acknowledges that AM is in its final days and allows for a “Whatever works” approach.
It theoretically would take an FM move off the table, but it didn’t stop them in Calgary, and that was even before the CRTC shutdown.
Theoretically, stations can do whatever they want now without any regulatory oversight. The Commission isn't accepting or acting on complaints, nor is it monitoring stations or conducting basic renewal examinations. Unscrupulous operators are going to have a field day skirting or simply ignoring the rules.
- RadioAaron
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Re: Ex-CRTC Vice-Chair: The Commission Is Abandoning Broadcasting
So this is an FM rule only? Why in the world would the CRTC mandate that difference? That's insane. Both are broadcasting stations and should be under the same regs. It may also mean your theory about taking talk to a Corus FM is off the table for the two-year hiatus.
The difference is the CRTC acknowledges that AM is in its final days and allows for a “Whatever works” approach.
It theoretically would take an FM move off the table, but it didn’t stop them in Calgary, and that was even before the CRTC shutdown.Theoretically, stations can do whatever they want now without any regulatory oversight. The Commission isn't accepting or acting on complaints, nor is it monitoring stations or conducting basic renewal examinations. Unscrupulous operators are going to have a field day skirting or simply ignoring the rules.
Not only that, they'll have a massive backlog after the two years. They may have to hit reset and do the equivalent of nuking your inbox after a vacation.