Canadian Heritage Min. Pablo Rodriguez and the federal cabinet have referred the CRTC’s June CBC/Radio-Canada licence renewal decision back to the commission for re-evaluation. The decision is based on the receipt of 16 petitions from groups including the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB), ACTRA, l’Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM), the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), the Indigenous Screen Office (ISO), the Black Screen Office (BSO), the Documentary Organization of Canada (DOC), public broadcaster watchdog FRIENDS, and others, requesting that the decision be set aside or referred back. According to an Order in Council, cabinet “is satisfied that the decision derogates from the attainment of the objectives of the broadcasting policy.” Read more here.
The CRTC is seeking comments from the public in response to an application filed by television service providers to increase the price cap for basic TV packages from $25/month to $28/month, with subsequent yearly adjustments based on inflation. Bell Canada, Cogeco Communications, Bragg Communications (Eastlink) and Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) are proposing tying any annual increase in the price of the package to the annual consumer price index for the period ending Dec. 31 of the preceding calendar year. The basic TV package includes local and regional TV stations, channels with mandatory distribution, community, and provincial legislature channels (where available), and provincial and territorial educational channels. Providers can also include other local TV stations (where less than 10 local stations are available), local radio stations, stations affiliated with major American networks (ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC) and PBS, and educational channels of another province or territory. The CRTC is welcoming comments until Oct. 28.
SAIT has announced its 2022 Alumni Award honourees which include Global Calgary anchor Linda Olsen and Sportsnet reporter Kyle Bukauskas. Olsen, who graduated from SAIT’s Cinema, Television, Stage and Radio Arts in 1988 is the 2022 Distinguished Alumna recipient, while Bukauskas, a 2013 graduate of the Radio, Television & Broadcast News program, is receiving the Outstanding Young Alumnus Award.
