Speech
Notes for an address
by Charles Dalfen
Chairman, Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission
to the Pearson-Shoyama Institute
Ottawa, Ontario
May 21st, 2002
(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)
Thank you Caroline (Jeba) for that very generous introduction.
I appreciate the opportunity to join the Minister, Jacques and Janet here
today. Each of the agencies we lead makes an important contribution to the
evolution of the Canadian broadcasting system.
The Pearson-Shoyama Institute should be commended for its ongoing commitment
to the exploration of issues related to multiculturalism and the media. I would
also like to thank Raj and his team for their work in organizing this luncheon.
Events like this one, make an important contribution to enriching the dialogue on
Canada's broadcasting system.
Besides the Aboriginal Peoples, we Canadians are largely a nation of
immigrants, and our communications system has a responsibility to reflect this
full reality. I have been asked to elaborate on the Commission's role when it
comes to seeing how this reality is reflected on air. And to comment on the role
television plays in defining our national identity.
That would be virtually impossible in the few minutes allotted to me, were it
not for the help provided by the Broadcasting Act - the law governing the
CRTC's role in broadcasting.
Section 3(1) (d) (iii) of the Act declares that the Canadian broadcasting
system should reflect
"the linguistic duality and multicultural and multiracial nature of Canadian
society and the special place of aboriginal people within that society."
This clause sets out a number of important objectives that the regulator is
called upon to implement, while attempting at the same time to give effect to
virtually dozens of others. Needless to say, this requires us to perform a series
of ongoing - and very delicate - balancing acts in all that we do.
While demographic research tells us that Canadians may be cocooning more, data
from the most recent Census point to a relatively flat birth rate. It's highly
likely that immigration will play an even larger role in the Canada of the future
than it has in the past. The broadcasting system will be expected to reflect this
development.
In order to ensure that the programming on the airwaves reflects the evolving
Canadian reality, the Commission has, over the last few years, set in place a
number of policies, including frameworks for television and ethnic broadcasting.
These frameworks have two main goals:
. broadcasting by and for ethnic minority Canadians and Aboriginal Peoples
and,
. reflection of Canada's diversity by all broadcasters.
The CRTC has long recognized the importance of ethnic programming in the
Canadian broadcasting system. Our initial policy in this area was issued 17 years
ago, in 1985, and was revised in 1999.
The policy's core objectives remain the same. These are to:
. develop services that reflect Canada's cultural and linguistic plurality;
. ensure access to ethnic programming for as many Canadians as possible, and
. foster opportunities for greater understanding among people of different
backgrounds.
The 1999 revision to the policy responded to industry and community input and
recognized the changing demographics of Canada. It gave ethnic broadcasters more
flexibility while encouraging more ethnic participation.
Canadians now enjoy 14 multi-lingual radio stations serving Montreal, Toronto,
Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver.
If I may, let me pause for a moment to remember an eminent radio broadcaster
who understood diversity more than most: Mr. Johnny Lombardi. It's been said that
Johnny made Canada home to many by providing air time for their concerns on CHIN
radio in Toronto. His legacy is well recognized and we hope many more will follow
in his footsteps.
In television, both Montreal and Toronto also have conventional ethnic TV
stations, and a licence was granted in February for a new station in Vancouver. A
second conventional ethnic TV station for Toronto was also approved in April.
There are five analog Canadian ethnic specialty channels serving Chinese,
Italian, Hispanic, South Asian and Greek audiences. Over 40 Category 2, ethnic
specialty licences were also licensed in 2000 and at least 9 are launched and up
and running. It's hard to assess how many Sideband FM services are operating in
this field, but we know that large urban centres enjoy radio in Chinese, Hebrew,
German, Greek, Korean, Indo-Pakistani, Persian and Tamil, to name just a few.
In terms of Aboriginal broadcasting, there are roughly 120 community-based
native radio stations mainly in the north. There are also a number of native
community-based television stations. And scheduled to launch this June, are the
four new native radio stations of Aboriginal Voices Radio in Vancouver, Calgary,
Toronto and Ottawa. Canadians also enjoy the world's first national indigenous
television network-APTN-the Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network.
However, it's not just the multicultural community itself that has a
responsibility to portray Canada to Canadians. In our view, mainstream public and
private broadcasters should also portray an image of Canada that fits reality.
Thus our television policy identifies the two following objectives for
conventional broadcasters:
- the broadcasting system should be a mirror in which all Canadians see
themselves, and see themselves fairly portrayed, accurately and without
stereotypes.
- the broadcasting system should allow the participation of producers,
writers, technicians and artists from different cultural and ethnic
perspectives.
In response to these TV policy objectives, the largest Canadian private
broadcasters, CTV, Global and TVA submitted diversity plans in the course of
their recent licence renewals.
We are in the process of discussing these diversity plans and their strategies
with the TV broadcasters to ensure that they are sufficiently comprehensive and
results-oriented.
The national public broadcaster, the CBC, is also mandated by the
Broadcasting Act to reflect the multi-cultural and multi-racial nature of
Canada, and the Corporation reports annually on this issue.
Other private television broadcasters have also been asked to submit their
commitments to diversity over the course of their licence terms, and a number of
these were heard over the last two months.
We commend these initial efforts and look forward to working with all
broadcasters to effect an increasingly accurate reflection of Canadians at large.
We have, in addition, asked the Canadian Association of Broadcasters to create
a task force and devise an action plan on cultural diversity for its members.
This important industry initiative will comprise three main elements:
- a coordinating body,
- baseline research on the presence of diversity in the system,
- a study of best practices underway across Canada.
The coordinating body will include broadcasters of all stripes, the production
community and community groups. Research will seek to measure the status of
representation today and its progress over time.
Finally, the best practices component will summarize guiding principles and
practical solutions for the industry.
We are working with the CAB to fine-tune its blue print. But, as it is rolled
out, there will be opportunity for input.
As I see it, in this area, as in others, the regulator's role is to open doors
and to monitor the opportunities that come through those open doors.
Our broadcasting system is a model for the world. The quality, diversity and
affordability of our information and entertainment choices are unparalleled.
Still we can not be complacent. Our demographic make up is continuously changing.
The Canadian broadcasting system needs to keep up with those changes, to help
provide all Canadians with a sense of belonging, and encourage dialogue and
harmony among our different communities. These values lie at the foundation of
our society and are at the core of our identity.
The CRTC looks forward to working hand in hand with the broadcasting,
multicultural and aboriginal communities in adding vitality and lustre to the
ever-evolving mosaic of this country, now and in the future.
Thank you.
- 30 -
Contact: Denis Carmel, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
Tel.: (819)
997-9403, TDD: (819) 994-0423, Fax: (819) 997-4245
e-Mail:
denis.carmel@crtc.gc.ca
Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782)
TDD -
Toll-free # 1-877-909-2782
This document is available in alternative format upon request.
Date Modified: 2002-05-21 |
