GATINEAU – Bell Canada’s Broadcasting Distribution Undertaking (BDU) licence (for Fibe TV) will expire on February 29, 2020 and the CRTC last week published a notice of consultation making Bell’s application public – as well as the correspondence between Bell and the Commission since Bell filed its application in August 2017.
The CRTC, in that notice, alludes to non-compliance issues they notice in their examination of the issue, especially in terms of providing Community television and local expression.
“The Commission intends to examine Bell Canada’s (Bell’s) compliance of with its regulatory obligations relating to local expression and community programming. The Commission intends to evaluate, among other things, whether Bell’s community programming is in keeping with the policy framework for local and community television set out in Policy framework for local and community television, Broadcasting Regulatory Policy CRTC 2016-224,” reads the notice of consultation.
A look at the correspondence indicates disagreements in definitions and perception of what constitutes Community programming and local expression and how much money was spent on it. Not dissimilar to the processes Telus went through earlier in 2019.
In its back and forth with Bell, the CRTC noted its concern that Bell may be redirecting money from smaller, exempt markets towards the production of community programming in bigger markets where Bell operates licensed BDUs, but no longer offers a community programming service.
It’s expected community groups, such as CACTUS, will participate and further question Bell’s performance.
Comments are due on October 15 and there is usually an opportunity for Bell to respond.
That means a quick turnaround to issue a decision before the end of February.
