GATINEAU – Under increasing pressure from many groups (including many politicians) the CRTC today announced a new proceeding to review consolidating media ownership in Canada.
That means it won’t look at the issue under the auspices of the proposed CTVglobemedia purchase of CHUM. That hearing goes April 30th.
The scope of this new proceeding will be set out in a notice of public hearing to be issued shortly. A public hearing will follow in the fall of 2007.
"The current wave of consolidation in the Canadian broadcasting industry (CTVgm/CHUM, CanWest Global/Alliance Atlantis and Astral/Standard), and the possibility of more major transactions in the future, raises important questions relating to the diversity of voices in Canada," said Konrad von Finckenstein, chairman of the CRTC.
"Holding a public hearing in the fall will allow us to give these issues the thorough and in-depth study they deserve. This exercise will result in clearly articulated policy guidelines that will further the evolution of the Canadian broadcasting system from that point forward."
However, regarding the major ownership transactions that have been filed or publicly announced as of this date, the Commission is of the view that procedural fairness demands that such applications be heard in a timely manner and pursuant to the rules in force when the transactions were announced.
Translation: The three deals mentioned above will be looked at under existing rules, which will inevitably be spun in some quarters as closing the barn doors after the horses have escaped.
The Commission expects to issue its revised policy guidelines with respect to diversity of voices toward the end of 2007. In the meantime, the Commission will deal with routine ownership transactions that do not raise significant diversity of voices issues by following the normal process.
