Speech
Opening remarks
by Charles Dalfen
Chairman, Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission
at the public hearing in Gatineau, Quebec
Gatineau, Quebec
September 9th, 2004
(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to this public hearing.
My name is Charles Dalfen, and I am Chairman of the CRTC. I will be
chairing this hearing with my colleagues Andrée Wylie, Vice-Chairperson,
Broadcasting, David Colville, Vice-Chairman, Telecommunications and Regional
Commissioner for the Atlantic Region, Andrée Noël, Regional Commissioner for
Québec, and Ronald Williams, Regional Commissioner for Alberta and the
Northwest Territories.
The Commission team working with us is composed of Robert Ramsay,
Director, Acquisitions and Ownership Policy, and Hearing Manager, William
Howard and James Murdock, Legal Counsels, and Pierre LeBel, Hearing
Secretary. Please see Mr. Lebel if you have any question about hearing
procedures.
CHUM Ltd. and Craig Media Inc.
At this hearing, we will be examining the application filed by CHUM Ltd.
(CHUM) to acquire effective control of Craig Media Inc. (Craig), for the
cost of $265 million. CHUM proposes tangible benefits of $20 million.
Craig's assets consist of conventional television stations in Alberta,
Manitoba and Ontario, and of category 1 and 2 digital specialty services.
Since the Commission's common ownership policy limits the number of
television stations that a broadcaster may operate in a market, CHUM has
committed to divest itself of conventional station Toronto One.
Toronto One launched in September 2003. Consequently, the transaction
regarding this station raises an issue of the integrity of the Commission's
licensing process as the station is being sold within the first licence
term. This situation also exists in the case of category 1 and 2 digital
specialty services that are in their first licence term. The panel intends
to discuss these concerns at the hearing.
Procedure
This hearing should last about one day. You will be notified of any
change in the schedule as soon as possible.
We would ask you to please turn off your cell phones and beepers while
you are in the hearing room as they tend to be an unwelcome distraction for
participants and panel members. We are counting on your cooperation in this
regard throughout the hearing.
I will now invite the Hearing Secretary, Mr. Pierre LeBel, to explain the
hearing procedure to you. Mr. LeBel.
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This document is available in alternative format upon request.
Date Modified: 2004-09-09 |
