A column about media, broadcasting and the regulatory environment.

The CRTC has released a new edict commanding all TV news services to broadcast local news to the communities they are licensed to serve. Large market outlets must produce at least 14 hours of “locally relevant programming” weekly, and employ full-time journalists or establish bureaus in the markets where they are licensed.

Smaller markets, such as Thunder Bay, and independently owned OTA broadcasters – most notably Channel Zero’s CHCH – will be eligible to dip into a Local News Production fund that will help pay for producing enough news product to meet the new requirements. To help stations struggling to generate advertising revenue, the CRTC said larger stations would be able to redistribute available resources, allowing them to spend up to $67 million more on local news content.

Television service providers currently set aside 5% of their revenues to help fund the creation of Canadian programming. The new policy leaves the overall amount in the fund largely unchanged. However, beginning Sept. 1, 2017, companies such as Bell, Rogers and Quebecor will be allowed to dip into some of the $156m currently spent on community programming to local news production instead -- on condition they keep all their stations open. The new regs take effect next Jan.

The CRTC Policy framework for local and community news can be viewed here, Canadian Press explores in depth here, and Globe & Mail Media columnist James Bradshaw explains the new rulebook here.

Quick Facts

• The CRTC has issued its new regulatory framework for local and community programming, following a process that began in September 2015.

• During this process, Canadians reiterated that they place great importance on local news to stay informed.

• Average weekly viewing hours for Canadian news and actualities broadcast by Canadian television services is over 23% of total hours viewed in the English market and over 28% in the French market.

• The emergence of new technologies allowed Canadians to easily have access to local and international news. However, new digital media do not yet have adequate funding and the expertise necessary to replace traditional local news.

• There are currently sufficient sources of funding within the system to fund the creation of locally produced, locally reflective programming.

• Canada’s television system provides a strong foundation on which to build for the future. It employs nearly 60,000 people and invests more than $4 billion in public funds alone each year in the creation of content made by Canadians.

• The allocation of some of the funding sources has been reviewed to ensure that local programming continues to be of high quality and receive adequate funding.

• The CRTC expects broadcasters to fulfill their social responsibility to produce programming that informs and reflects local communities.

• English-language stations will be required to broadcast at least seven hours of locally relevant programming (especially news) per week in non-metropolitan markets, and 14 hours per week in metropolitan markets (namely Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Edmonton and Calgary).

• French-language stations will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, using a benchmark of five hours of local programming per week.

• Canadians still value community television programming, especially in smaller communities.

• In the digital era, it is increasingly easy to create and share content online at lower cost. Community channels are encouraged to make content available on multiple platforms to all Canadians.

• The CRTC today also published a notice of consultation that launched the renewal process for television licences owned by large ownership groups.

• The public hearing to review the applications from the French-language ownership groups, namely Bell, Corus, Québecor and Groupe V, will begin on November 22, 2016, in Laval, Quebec.

• The public hearing to review the applications from the English-language ownership groups, namely Bell, Corus and Rogers, will begin on November 28, 2016, at our headquarters in the National Capital Region.

Quote

“We are rebalancing the considerable resources already in the system to ensure that the quality, quantity and capacity of local newscasts are maintained. However, the flexibility that we are giving to the large private broadcasters is not to be taken lightly. They have a responsibility of continuing to provide adequate funding for news and to produce high-quality local programming that informs Canadians and reflects the communities they serve. Holding a broadcasting licence is a privilege, and in exchange of that privilege broadcasters have public service obligations, especially with respect to local news and information.” – CRTC Chair & CEO Jean-Pierre Blais

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-- CINAR, once the power-house of Canadian animation, came to an end in guilty verdicts for three men. Ronald Weinberg, the founder of the company, and associates Lino Matteo and John Xanthoudakis were found guilty on most charges they faced for an elaborate, $120-million fraud orchestrated at the defunct children’s television production company, RCI reports.

-- David Marsden and Igor Loukine, co-Founders of NYTheSpirit.com, have announced the addition of Allnite Andre to the line-up of DJs on the music streaming service NYthespirit.com The original CFNY-FM played an important role in the music and radio life of Allnite Andre. His career began to blossom in those early days of the exceptional CFNY. That freedom of expression and music never left him. NYTheSpirit delights in announcing his return to the roots of creative music presentation. Streaming 24 – 7 Allnite Andre’s Live Enzymes Show will be featured along with PoP-Up shows - Ivar Hamilton’s Teardown, James’ The New Music Show, Rob Stuart’s The Mixtape Show and David Marsden’s Live Saturday & Sunday Evenings.  Each presenting “the Fabulous Free Form music weekly at NYTheSpirit.com”.

 

Worth Noting

 

The Canadian-Caribbean invasion of Radio Jamaica: Perhaps one of the earliest instances of a radio presenter getting into the recording studio to record popular music is that of the Canada-born Charlie Babcock – The Jamaican Gleaner

Vintage Radio: The life, decline and possible rebirth of AM radio – Paul Litwinovitch, WSHU Public Radio

You're killing the conversation: Authentic conversation is paramount to successful multi-player radio shows – Paul Kaye

Without cars, radio would be dead -- BBC Auto

Can Netflix survive in the world it created? Over the last five years, cable has lost 6.7m subscribers; more than a quarter of millennials (70% of whom use streaming services) report having never subscribed to cable in their lives – NY Times

Radio and the death of the phone number: It’s the Internet age so unless the number is memorable… -- Noah Campbell

Pandora: We’re better than broadcast radio for musicians who aren’t stars yet – RAIN