Canada - CRTC announces analogue switch-off date

The Commission establishes a new approach for Canadian conventional television

OTTAWA-GATINEAU — The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has introduced changes to the way it regulates conventional television broadcasters. These measures will ensure Canadians have access to digital and high-definition television programming, and that broadcasters continue to contribute to the production, acquisition and broadcast of high-quality Canadian programming.

Notably, the Commission has decided to:

• remove restrictions on advertising time limits after gradually increasing the amount of advertising allowed;
• establish August 31, 2011, as the date by which television licensees will only broadcast digital signals;
• require English- and French-language broadcasters to caption for the hearing impaired 100 per cent of their programs over the 18-hour broadcast day, with the exception of advertising and promotions; and
• deny a subscriber fee for the carriage of local conventional television stations on cable and satellite as its necessity has not been demonstrated.

“These changes reflect our approach of developing lighter and more targeted regulation to achieve the objectives of the Broadcasting Act,” said Konrad von Finckenstein, Q.C., Chairman of the CRTC. “Broadcasters will have the flexibility to air more advertising, and Canadians viewers will ultimately decide what is acceptable.”

More:
Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2007-53 [.htm] [.pdf]
Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2007-54 [.htm] [.pdf]
Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2006-5 [.htm] [.pdf]