OTTAWA – The CRTC put out a call for comments today on an application from Quebecor Media on behalf of its subsidiary TVA Group to remove the limit on advertising currently imposed on TVA’s discretionary services.
The Commission is also considering the possibility of removing the limit for other discretionary services as well.
Right now, TVA’s AddikTV, CASA, Évasion, MOI ET CIE, PRISE2, Yoopa and Zeste, as well as LCN (is national news service) and TVA Sports and TVA Sports 2 (its mainstream sports services) are restricted to airing no more than 12 minutes of advertising per clock hour, the CRTC call for comments explains.
TVA argued in its application for the change that the limit discretionary services face unduly favours foreign online platforms, which are not subject to similar restrictions, and “are capturing a growing share of advertising revenues,” the call for comments says.
“According to TVA, the French-language market has a greater need for regulatory flexibility than the English-language market. In this regard, TVA noted that the most popular programs in the French-language market are produced locally at higher cost. Therefore, TVA considers that making full use of advertising space would allow it to better support the production of and profit from these programs,” according to the call for comments.
TVA also argued the situation in the French-language advertising market has become more alarming as it says Bell has been increasing its selling power since its acquisition of V Interactions.
Should the Commission deny the request, TVA proposed as an alternative solution that it be allowed to broadcast promotions for foreign programs and feature films that do not count against the limit on advertising.
In its call for comment the CRTC noted that all Canadian discretionary services are facing challenges and as such, it will consider removing the limit on advertising time for all of them. The Commission is also seeking input on whether it is an appropriate time to address the issue given the possibility Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, will be passed, changing the regulatory environment.
The deadline to comment for this consultation is Nov. 7, 2022.
For more, please click here.
