OTTAWA – A CRTC decision allowing Corus Entertainment’s OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network to rescind a terms of trade agreement with the Canadian Media Production Association (CMPA) has been allowed to stand.
An order in council dated January 26, 2016 declined to set aside or return the decision to the CRTC, as an appeal by the CMPA had requested. After considering the CMPA’s petition, the Governor in Council said in the order that it “is not satisfied that decision derogates from the attainment of the objectives of the broadcasting policy for Canada set out in subsection 3(1) of the Broadcasting Act”.
The CRTC approved Corus’ application to amend the broadcasting licence for its Category A service OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) last October. The amended conditions of licence pertained to OWN’s nature of service and to adherence to the terms of trade agreement.
Despite interventions by the CMPA and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM) objecting to the application’s request to withdraw from the terms of trade agreement, the Commission deferred to its Let’s Talk TV decision that said it would no longer intervene in the relationship between broadcasters and producers by requiring adherence to terms of trade agreements.
A CRTC spokesperson told Cartt.ca that the Commission was “pleased” that the Government upheld its decision.
“It was part of a series of important regulatory policy decisions made further to Let’s Talk TV and designed to ensure Canadian television adapts to the technological realities of the future”, reads an emailed response. “The CRTC is confident that content made by Canadians can compete with the best in the world.”
