The CRTC
The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
evolved from a series of commissions, studies, hearings and legislation on
the need to create an agency responsible for regulating broadcasting and
telecommunications in Canada.
Today, we are an independent public authority in charge of regulating and
supervising Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications. We serve the public
interest and are governed by the Broadcasting Act of 1991 and the
Telecommunications Act of 1993.
The primary objective of the Broadcasting Act is to ensure that all
Canadians have access to a wide variety of high quality Canadian programming.
The main objective of the Telecommunications Act is to ensure that
Canadians have access to reliable telephone and other telecommunications
services at affordable prices.
Not only must we comply with these Acts, but we also report to Parliament
through the Minister of Canadian Heritage and are subject to orders from
Cabinet. In addition, we must take into account the wants and needs of
Canadian citizens, industries, and various interest groups.
Generally, our role is to maintain a delicate balance-in the public
interest-between the cultural, social and economic goals of the legislation
on broadcasting and telecommunications.
Our mandate is to ensure that programming in the Canadian broadcasting
system reflects Canadian creativity and talent, our linguistic duality, our
multicultural diversity, the special place of aboriginal people within our
society and our social values. At the same time, we must ensure that
Canadians have access to reasonably priced, high-quality, varied and
innovative communications services that are competitive nationally as well as
internationally.
Activities
With these considerations in mind, we regulate over 3,300 broadcasters,
including television, cable distribution, AM and FM radio, pay and specialty
television, Direct-to-Home satellite systems, Multipoint Distribution
Systems, Subscription Television and Pay Audio. We also regulate over 78
telecommunications carriers including major Canadian telephone companies.
To get input from the public and interested parties, we hold public
hearings, round-table discussions and informal forums. In addition, in 2001
we processed 1,107 broadcasting and 1,128 telecommunications applications. We
also issued 919 orders and approximately 750 decisions. We responded to
21,400 letters of requests and complaints, as well as to over 35,300
telephone calls.
We also strive to expand our international dialogue, to better study the
scope of the alliances and companies that are formed around the world, and to
better understand the pressures that these new arrangements bring to bear on
the Canadian market. For instance, at the 28th annual meeting of the
International Institute of Communications in 1997, we proposed and initiated
the organization of regular meetings with our counterparts in other
countries.
In recent years, international communication has become increasingly
important with the realization of the effects of globalization and
convergence. Given that the CRTC is one agency with the authority to regulate
both broadcasting and telecommunications, we feel that we are particularly
well equipped to face these new challenges. This puts us in a unique position
that allows us to help other regulators in the international community to
become more prepared themselves.
The CRTC has been actively participating in forums twice a year (a
tradition that the CRTC called on the international community to begin in
1997) involving about 30 regulatory agencies and 25 countries around the
world.
Structure
Parliament set out our present structure and powers in the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Act. This Act was amended by the
Broadcasting Act of 1991.
Under the Act, the Cabinet may appoint up to 13 full-time and 6 part-time
commissioners for renewable terms of up to 5 years.
Full-time positions include that of the chairperson, the vice-chairperson
of broadcasting, and the vice-chairperson of telecommunications.
Only full-time commissioners are involved in the decision-making process
for telecommunications, but all commissioners participate in broadcasting
decisions.
400 employees specializing in broadcasting and telecommunications also
contribute their talents and services to respond to our immediate and
long-term responsibilities concerning legislation, the Canadian public,
government and industry.
CRTC Members
|
|
Chairperson, Charles Dalfen |
819-997-3430 |
Vice-Chairperson, Broadcasting, Michel Arpin |
819-997-8766 |
Vice-Chairperson, Telecommunications, Richard
French |
819-997-8766 |
Commissioner, Joan Pennefather |
819-997-3917 |
Commissioner, Stuart Langford |
819-997-4126 |
Commissioner, Elizabeth A. Duncan
(Atlantic) |
819-997-4764
902-426-2644 |
Commissioner, Andrée Noël
(Québec) |
819-997-3831
514-496-2370 |
Commissioner, Rita Cugini
(Ontario) |
819-997-2431
416-954-6269 |
Commissioner, Barbara Cram
(Manitoba/Saskatchewan) |
819-997-4485
306-780-3422 |
Commissioner, Ronald D. Williams
(Alberta/NWT) |
819-953-0435
780-495-4544 |
Commissioner, Helen R. del Val
(B.C./Yukon) |
819-934-6347
604-666-2914 |
Our Offices
|
|
Central Office
Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
Central Building
1 Promenade du Portage
Gatineau, Quebec
J8X 4B1
Tel: 819-997-0313
Fax: 819-994-0218
TDD: 819-994-0423 |
Mailing Address
CRTC
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0N2 |
in Nova Scotia
Metropolitan Place
99 Wyse Road
Suite 1410
Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
B3A 4S5
Tel: 902-426-7997
Fax: 902-426-2721
|
in Quebec
205 Viger Avenue West
Suite 504
Montreal, Quebec
H2Z 1G2
Tel: 514-283-6607
|
in Manitoba
275 Portage Avenue
Suite 1810
Winnipeg, Manitoba
R3B 2B3
Tel: 204-983-6306
Fax: 204-983-6317
TDD: 204-983-8274 |
in British Columbia
580 Hornby Street
Suite 530
Vancouver, British Columbia
V6C 3B6
Tel: 604-666-2111
Fax: 604-666-8322
TDD: 604-666-0778 |
in Ontario
55 St. Clair Avenue East
Suite 624
Toronto, Ontario
M4T 1M2
Tel: 416-952-9096 |
in Saskatchewan
Cornwall Professional Building
2125 11th Avenue
Suite 103
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 3X3
Tel: 306-780-3422 |
in Alberta
10405 Jasper Avenue
Suite 520
Edmonton, Alberta
T5J 3N4
Tel: 780-495-3224 |
1 |
TEL. (toll-free): 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
TDD (toll-free): 1-877-909-2782
Internet address: http://www.crtc.gc.ca
Complaints
and Inquiries |