CRTC puts new restrictions on media ownership

[scrooloose]

Some interesting new rules:

Canada's broadcast regulator has put in place new rules on media ownership in Canada that will restrict how big the country's broadcasters can get, following a year of unprecedented deals in the sector.

-Mike

[hugh]

Too little too late. Like shuffling deck chairs on the titanic. I was going to add a 3rd cliche but you get the point.

[jvillain]

I would bet that we will see an application with in a year that would violate this rule and it will be mostly accepted with just a couple of token changes.

[I_Want_My_HDTV]

I agree with Hugh. Good news but years too late. If the CRTC's idea was to create large broadcasting companies that could compete on an international scale, that has been accomplished. The only problem is, they are not competing because there is virtually no competition. The logical resolution now is to allow more foreign competition in the broadcasting industry so that Canadian broadcasters will produce more high quality Canadian programming.

* No person or company will be allowed to control more than two of types of media in one local market, including local TV, local radio and a local newspaper.

Then add BDU. Then change it to any two broadcast outlets and it will have some teeth. As worded, one company could control satellite, cable and several TV and radio stations.

* No company will be allowed to control more than 45 per cent of the total television audience in Canada, which could restrict the acquisition of specialty cable channels by major broadcasters.

You must be joking. This pretty much penalizes broadcasters for delivering popular programming. Yet another recipe for mediocrity. Besides, 45% of of the total audience is almost impossible to reach. OTOH, it could eliminate Canadian carriage of programming like the Superbowl.

* Deals between television distributors, such as cable and satellite TV companies, will not be allowed if they result in one company or person controlling the delivery of programming in a market.

Does this mean that if a new channel can only get carriage by one BDU and they have exclusive rights to a program, the channel must be taken off the air? If so, cancel Rush, Oasis, Equator, etc... Also, take Rogers' community channels off the air.

[Pepperidge]

You must be joking. This pretty much penalizes broadcasters for delivering popular programming. Yet another recipe for mediocrity. Besides, 45% of of the total audience is almost impossible to reach. OTOH, it could eliminate Canadian carriage of programming like the Superbowl.

Umm, I'm pretty sure this doesn't have anything to do with audience reach of individual stations, just on the number of services they're able to control at a given time.

[sifting]

Originally Posted by I_Want_My_HDTV

Does this mean that if a new channel can only get carriage by one BDU and they have exclusive rights to a program, the channel must be taken off the air? If so, cancel Rush, Oasis, Equator, etc... Also, take Rogers' community channels off the air.

Having exclusive rights to provide a single channel or program hardly constitutes control of the delivery of all the programming in a market.

[hugh]

I notice today the CRTC approved the takeover of Alliance Atlantis. SO much for those new rules!

[Dr.Dave]

Actually, the Alliance Atlantis deal was approved under the old rules that were in effect when the deal was done. I don't know which of the new rules this deal would have broken.

[sifting]

The CanWest Alliance deal would likely be OK under the diversity rules announced here, at least I understand them. It remains exceedingly dicy, however, under the foreign ownership rules for broadcasting. Many would describe it as a sellout.

BTW, my apologies for double-posting the thread, scrooloose.