Speech
where the
public and private interests converge
Notes for an address
by David Colville
Chairperson, Canadian Radio-television
and Telecommunications Commission
to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' Annual
Convention
Ottawa, Ontario
October 30, 2001
(CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY)
I noticed that among other reasons for attending this convention, your
president mentioned in his message to CAB members that "new
leadership is pending at the CRTC".
It seems to have worked, and it’s nice to see so many people anxious
to see the new chair of the CRTC. I am sorry to disappoint you. It looks
like I will be around for a few more weeks at best.
I must tell you, however, that one of the reasons for my presence here
was that I wanted, on behalf of the Commission, to salute Michael McCabe
on his 13 years of CAB leadership, and to congratulate your new president,
Glenn O’Farrell. Welcome, Glenn, we look forward to working with you.
So, in fact, I have not come here to be buried but to praise Michael
and greet Glenn.
I am also happy to salute the Canadian Association of Broadcasters on
its 75th anniversary, an anniversary that is all the more
remarkable because for 62 of those years, your Association got along
without the guidance of Michael McCabe - even though it seems like Michael
has been around forever.
The relationship between the CAB and the CRTC has not always been a
match made in heaven.
We have our differences from time to time– which is normal and
healthy – but the interface between our two organizations has evolved
into a unique and useful relationship.
As the national voice of Canada’s private broadcasters, the CAB has
made many positive contributions to the regulation of Canadian
broadcasting industry. You play an indispensable role in the broadcasting
industry by researching and building consensus among your members on
issues that we examine and eventually rule on.
You have also taken concrete action to solve problems. By founding, for
instance, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council, which assists in the
application of broadcast standards. And, as well, by being a founding
member of The Action Group on Violence on Television.
The CAB has also been an enthusiastic supporter of the Canadian
Television Fund, another successful private-public partnership that
supports the production of Canadian programming.
Over the last thirteen years, thanks to his natural talents as a
mediator and a consensus builder, Michael McCabe has been instrumental in
making this relationship work even better.
Michael’s vision and leadership have been especially crucial in this
period of profound and rapid change and on behalf of the CRTC and the
public, which we both seek to serve, I want to thank and congratulate him.
I know that meeting our many mutual challenges would have been much
more difficult without Michael at the helm.
Speaking of challenges, I would like, this morning, to say just a few
words on the way the CRTC has sought to meet the challenges of a
rapidly-evolving broadcasting environment.
I remember that when I gave my first speech after occupying the Chair
of the CRTC for the first time, in 1991, I challenged the broadcasting
industry to come to some consensus on what kind of business it wanted to
be in ten years down the road. I don’t think anyone then could have
predicted where we are today. I certainly would not have predicted I would
still be at the CRTC, let alone in the chair’s job for the third time.
The Internet was in its infancy; there was only a handful of analog
specialty channels; we were not even talking about digital cable and
telecommunications were still a monopolistic preserve.
When we consider the spectacular changes in ownership, industry structure,
global competition and technological advances that we have witnessed
recently, it is obvious that today’s broadcasting industry bears little
resemblance to the one we operated in only 10 years ago.
These developments – many of them brought on by your members - have
allowed the Commission to reinvent itself and refine its policies to
fulfill its mandated responsibility of regulating the Canadian
broadcasting system in a flexible manner while making it readily adaptable
to structural and technological change.
The regulator cannot march in front of the parade, nor should it march
behind it, in order to do its job well, the CRTC must be marching with the
parade. With your help, we simply want to give Canadians the fullest
opportunity possible to hear the many voices that express our unique
identity as an open, multicultural and bilingual society.
In revising existing policies and devising new ones, we set in motion a
transition from what was a largely protected environment to one that
fosters more open competition and diversity in the delivery and creation
of programming to and for Canadians.
Over the last few years, for example, we:
- revitalized our TV Policy to give more diversity and choice to
viewers, more flexibility to broadcasters and more opportunities to
independent producers;
- reviewed our policy for commercial radio, setting the stage for a
financially stronger radio industry by updating the rules on
multi-station ownership in a single market;
- revised the regulatory framework for the distribution of
broadcasting services, promoting competition with cable, through
such technologies as satellite and microwave distribution, so that
Canadians will have choices in providers, packages and prices of
broadcasting services;
- embraced digital technology; (just recently, 50 new digital
Canadian specialty channels were launched);
- decided not to regulate new media, becoming one of the first
regulators in the world to clarify its position on the Internet –
a position that was applauded by your Association; and
- supported mergers, acquisitions and consolidations that led to a
stronger and more competitive industry; (it should be noted that
consolidation is also transforming the radio broadcasting industry;
our second Broadcast Policy Monitoring Report, for example, shows
that the top 10 industry players earned a national revenue share of
73% in 2000, up from 63% in 1999). By the way, for those of you who
want more information, the Monitoring Report was just released and
is available on our web-site.
We also:
- · modernized our policy for multicultural and ethnic broadcasting;
- · adopted new policies for campus and community radio stations;
- · increased access to francophone programming; and
- · licensed the world’s first service devoted to Aboriginal
peoples for nation-wide distribution.
The CRTC’s challenge is to balance the positive and potential
negative aspects of competition, consolidation, concentration and
convergence, without precluding the entry of new players, and while
preserving the diversity of Canadian choices and voices.
That is also why we went beyond strict licensing to preserve a
diversity of voices for Canadians across both electronic and print media.
In doing so, we have had to consider the impact on citizens of the trend
towards convergence and companies gaining efficiencies through the
convergence of broadcast and print media.
In his latest book, one of our country’s most distinguished
broadcaster, Knowlton Nash, postulates for his part that the private
entrepreneurs – The Swashbucklers—as he sees you – have overrun the
defenders of public television.
I personally do not think that we should look at the new broadcasting
reality in such stark terms. Nor do I see the CRTC’s role as the referee
of an unending battle between private and public broadcasters.
Nor do I agree with the proposition that the CBC should be the only
purveyor of Canadian programming.
Canadian programming is more important than simply limiting it to the
CBC, which does a great job. Ten years ago in that same 1991 speech I said
that I thought that Canadian broadcasters would not only survive, but
expand and flourish by providing high quality, distinctive programming—and
would see that it is good business.
Today there is more Canadian priority programming on television, more
Canadian music on the radio waves, and more support for the Canadian
production and music and recording industries. You’ve done all this
while making a strong business case for doing it and making yourselves
stronger in the process.
I don’t believe that this is likely to change. In fact, just a few
days ago, Michael McCabe said that Canadian programming is absolutely
essential to the future of Canadian broadcasting.
So it would seem that here we have a win-win scenario: by working
together to serve the public interest, by creating high quality Canadian
programming, we are also creating a viable, vibrant broadcasting industry.
Looking ahead to the future, and the challenges that face us all—the
move to digital—the developments the Internet will bring—my firm
belief is that no matter how market-driven the environment becomes, there
will continue to be the need in Canada for a governance organization which
has, as its primary raison d’être, the responsibility of ensuring that
the public interest is addressed and supported in broadcasting and
telecommunications.
In my view, as the CRTC Chair for at least another week or two, the
public interest in the context of broadcasting is served by continuing to
produce high quality programming that Canadians want to watch.
- Programming that reflects the various regions and diverse cultures
of this country.
- Programming that reflects our unique perspectives on news and
public affairs.
- Programming that tells our own stories.
- Programming that gives voice to our own artists and musicians.
At the same time, the public interest is served by maintaining a strong
and vibrant domestic production industry that creates jobs and allows us
to compete in the global marketplace.
Yes, it’s a tall order. But, an important one.
There is more to this business than just the bottom line. That is why
your input, collectively, as Canada’s national association of
broadcasters, and individually, as experts in the broadcasting field, is
so important to us, as we seek to ensure that our core principles and
responsibilities and the cultural policy objectives they have supported
over many decades- are adapted to the emerging realities of a global
digital environment.
In particular, as we continue to adapt to the new broadcasting
realities, we will need continued and constructive partnership with the
CAB and other concerned Canadians to keep making decisions in the best
interests of Canadians.
And I know that Michael would join me in wishing that this working
relationship continues for a very long time.
To his successor, Glenn O'Farrell, I pledge my utmost cooperation as he
will no doubt seek to reach consensus among CAB members on issues that
confront us all.
But I would suggest that we need to balance the desire to reach
consensus with the need to reflect the individual views of all CAB
members. If the views of the members are watered down too much, vital
feedback and information is lost and are not available to help us in our
deliberations. We need to hear the many voices of private broadcasters
loud and clear.
And, in this era of large mergers and acquisitions, there will always
be the issue of the big players vs. the small players. There is a tendency
to listen to the big players, sometimes at the risk of not hearing the
small, but I believe that the smaller broadcasters need the CAB the most.
Their views and concerns are valuable and offer important insight into the
issues facing the industry as a whole.
No doubt as we go forward, we will wrestle with competing views on
substantive issues. This will be a challenge. But I am sure, that as we
have done together over the past 33 years, we will create solutions in the
best interests of the entire broadcasting system and the country.
I look forward to working with you 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: 2001-10-30
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