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In May 2008, the CRTC called for comments on whether it was necessary to repeal a 1999 decision by the Commission to exempt new media from regulation. The CRTC also wanted to review whether the new media environment contributes effectively to the objectives of the Broadcasting Act. The deadline for filing comments was Friday, July 11, 2008, and it garnered a total of 59 submissions.
In its submission, the CBC/Radio-Canada wanted to correct " 'old assumptions' " held by the CRTC regarding new media, saying that it is neither displacing traditional media nor will it solve the financial problems of traditional broadcasters.
Richard Stursberg, CBC executive VP of English services, points out that " 'viewing television on the Internet represents less than one per cent of the total time Canadians spend viewing television. In fact, Canadians watch more TV now than they did 15 years ago.' "
The CBC claims that the Internet is mainly used for research and communication, rather than for TV viewing. The broadcaster points out that the most professional video content on the Internet originates from traditional TV. To ensure an accurate policy on new media, it's important that the " 'misconceptions' " are corrected by the CRTC.
CTVglobemedia feels that regulating the Internet would be impractical. It points out, however, that the competitive imbalance facing players needs to be considered to ensure that Canadian broadcasters are successful.
The Canadian ISP Alliance is against regulation because new media is still in its early stages of development in Canada and there is no rationale for regulating it since there is no proof that it is undermining the Broadcasting Act.
The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) called on the CRTC to maintain the status quo and not regulate the Internet, arguing that to do so would stifle Canada's competitiveness. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce also feels that it is unnecessary to regulate the Internet since it would hinder competition.
The Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) says that the " 'assumption that the Internet is beyond regulatory control' " is incorrect and has been used to serve the interests of large new media companies. The network called for an "appropriate" regulation that would serve the public interest.
The CRTC will hold a public hearing on new media broadcasting in early 2009.
Source: Tech Media Reports, 07/14/2008
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