The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) is inviting Canadians to express their views on local and community programming.
From Jan. 12 to Feb. 3, Canadians will be able to share their opinions on an online discussion forum.
Last September, the CRTC launched a review of local and community programming. Having analyzed the initial feedback, they are now publishing a working document intended to propose possible approaches and generate discussion.
The CRTC would like to discuss what role local and community programming plays in the lives of Canadians. The discussion forum will serve as a platform to answer questions such as the following:
Do you consider the local events in your area are sufficiently covered on television, in terms of quantity and quality? If not, give us ideas of what could be done to improve such coverage.
What information sources, other than local TV, do you consult to stay informed of local events and why?
What type of programming available on the community channel is of interest to you and why?
What could be done to improve your community channel? For example, should community channels in smaller markets broadcast professional local news to ensure they cater to the diverse needs of their communities?
During the Let’s Talk TV proceeding, the CRTC identified several challenges faced by local antd community television in this digital age where both content and viewers are increasingly moving towards online services. Moreover, a survey conducted as part of that proceeding revealed that 81 per cent of Canadians believe that local news is important. In this light, the CRTC wishes to discuss future approaches for ensuring access to local information and community access programming on multiple platforms.
The online discussion forum will be held from between now and Feb. 3, the last day of CRTCs public hearing on local and community programming.
The CRTC said the working document proposes potential approaches to generate discussion. It does not give priority to one approach over another.
The percentage of Canadian households subscribing to cable, satellite or Internet protocol television services was 82 per cent or 11.6 million households, in 2014, and over $150 million was spent on community channels.
