News release

November 6, 2001

OTTAWA-HULL — The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) intends to make the televised proceedings of the House of Commons more accessible to Canadians in the official language of their choice. In the view of the Commission, this programming is vital to the public interest and an important part of the Canadian broadcast system.

Thanks to the voluntary efforts and monetary contributions of the Canadian broadcast distribution industry, the Cable Public Affairs Channel or CPAC, which carries the House of Commons proceedings, is already available in the language of the majority, to 95% of cable subscribers and over 1 million direct-to-home (DTH) subscribers. The Commission is now codifying what the distributors are already doing and employing a little-used, but largely available technology to enhance service to Canadians in the language of the minority.

To improve access to the House of Commons proceedings, the CRTC will require, as of September 1, 2002, all large and mid-size (Class 1 and 2) cable distributors of television services to distribute the House of Commons proceedings in the language of the majority as part of their basic service. These distributors will also be required to offer these proceedings in the official language of the minority by using secondary audio program (SAP) technology, and, depending on their capacity and on the technology they use, on a separate video channel.

DTH distributors will have to offer the service in both official languages using separate video channels.

While the CRTC strongly encourages the distribution of the House of Commons proceedings by all Class 3 distributors, it recognizes the unique challenges faced by these operators. Many smaller Class 3 systems have limited channel capacity and funds. To deal with these circumstances the Commission has set out the following model for distribution of the House of Commons proceedings:

• Smaller distributors who are owned by one of the four largest multiple system operators, will be required to continue to distribute the proceedings and to make a secondary audio feed available in the official language of the minority using SAP.
  
• Fully interconnected Class 3 distributors must distribute the proceedings with the same distribution status in both official languages as the system to which they are interconnected, unless the Class 3 distributor does not have enough channel capacity.
  
• Class 3 systems that use digital distribution will also be required to offer the proceedings in both official languages.
  
• All other Class 3 distributors are strongly encouraged to carry the House of Commons proceedings.

Reference document: Public Notice CRTC 2001-115

- 30 -

Media Inquiries:
   Denis Carmel, Tel: (819) 997-9403, eMail: denis.carmel@crtc.gc.ca

General Inquiries:
   Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2
   Tel: (819) 997-0313, TDD: (819) 994-0423, Fax: (819) 994-0218
   Toll-free # 1-877-249-CRTC (2782), eMail: info@crtc.gc.ca
   TDD - Toll-free # 1-877-909-2782

Copies of today’s documents are available through our Internet site (http://www.crtc.gc.ca) or by contacting the public examination room of any CRTC office. These documents are available in alternative format upon request.

Date Modified: 2001-11-06

Comments about our site

Today's Releases | File, Register and Epass | Decisions, Notices & Orders | Home | CISC | Industries at a Glance | Reference Centre | Canadian Content | Public Proceedings| Statutes & Regulations