Tracking March 2002

COMMUNITY MEDIA MOVING AHEAD IN CANADA

Community media in Canada is definitely not stagnant. There are lots and lots of activities going on in Canada presently in the community media sector. There is the new digital television Channel called The Green Channel that is devoted to issues of the environment. Also the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission - an independent public authority that regulates and supervises broadcasting and telecommunications in Canada has just proposed a new policy framework for community based media. Another interesting step is that the Canadians want to create a Broadband to bring high-speed internet access to all indigenous communities across Canada.

All these and more combined to make Canada a place to watch for those of us in the community media sector. Tracking is definitely watching Canada and we bring to you some of the recent reports and developments in Canada.

CALL for VIDEO PROGRAMMING - The Green Channel

The Green Channel is devoted to issues of the environment and sustainable development. The Green Channel, a new Canadian digital television channel devoted to issues of the environment and sustainable development had its debut early in September on the digital cable services of Rogers & Cogeco, to several hundred thousands of Canadians. The Green Channel is an initiative of WETV, an Ottawa-based international television service in operation since l996. They are currently gathering programming and TV PSAs on these issues for free-play.

If you have PSAs or programming that would fit this profile please be in touch with Charles Morrow, Director, Communication, The Green Channel, WETV House, 342 MacLaren Street, Ottawa, ON K2P OM6 Canada
Tel. (613) 238 4580 email cmorrow@wetv.com See http://www.wetv.com

CRTC POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR COMMUNITY MEDIA
The Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has established a new class of broadcasting licence for community programming. The community programming undertaking that will provide opportunities for not-for -profit community groups to provide community programming where the cable company chooses not to operate a channel in accordance with the policy.

The Commission is hoping to create another new class of licence to be called "Community-based television programming undertaking". The proposed licencing framework for these advertisement- supported undertakings include two sub-categories:

Community based low-power television undertakings.
Community based digital television services.

Locally produced programming that reflects the community and complements the programming already provided by conventional stations and the cable community channel will be provided by these new services.

The proposed policy also sets out general goals for low-power radio and equally defines the markets where low-power frequencies are scarce and suggests minor amendments to the 1993 Licence Policy for Low Power Radio.

Ability to contribute a new and diverse voice to the market is a prerequisite to obtain a low-power radio licence. They also have to complement rather than duplicate existing services and must also fulfill the needs of the community.

CMES -Community Media Education Society

CRTC Public Notice 2001-129 is the most important policy paper for community television since Canada started having community television and Canada is where community television began.
The idea of self-expression, of free and open television access, is one of Canada's most successful exports. Opportunity for public discussion is a fundamental issue around the world. In modern economies free speech has an economic meaning. It must be cost-free as well as un-coerced.
Since there are costs attached to all television production, the CRTC requires Class 1 broadcast distribution licensees to contribute 5% of gross revenues to Canadian television production. Originally that levy went entirely to community TV, though today it supports Canadian commercial television as well. In some cases it supports only commercial television.
Removing the requirement for cable companies to provide a community channel disturbed many long-time volunteers but this new policy, by creating a new license for community-based television programming undertakings, solves a problem that was inherent in cable-operated community channels from the beginning. It's wrong to assume that the interests of the cable company are the same as the interests of the community.
In Quebec the Federation des televisions communautaires autonomes du Quebec (TVC) makes sure that independent community channels there are rooted in their neighbourhoods. Even so, TVC has watched financial support from cable companies erode as those companies see the opportunity to spend money on their own priorities.
Not so long ago Canada led the world in public access innovation. Around the world, access programs are based on the model pioneered by our National Film Board Challenge for Change program. Last year the Alliance for Community Media in the United States, celebrating its 25th anniversary, repeatedly observed how George Stoney, elder statesman for the U.S. PEG system (public access, education, government) did his apprenticeship with the NFB. In article after article, the Alliance repeated that the goal is not to make shows for people, but rather to help them make their own programs for themselves. They learned that from Canada.
Cable companies chose the International Year of the Volunteer to remove the main vestiges of volunteer control from community television. Licensing the community channel independently is a good response, a powerful response and a necessary response.
The dilemma has always been that Canadian cable companies claim they need concessions to compete with the big international companies. Time after time community access integrity has been set aside for promotional considerations.
This revised policy still allows cable companies to operate the community channel but paragraph 57 says 50% of programming must be produced by individuals or groups in the community. If "produced" has its usual television industry meaning, then those individuals and groups will have creative control over their shows.
CMES would like to know what share of the cable levy would be set aside to fund programming by these individuals and groups. Would it be 50% of the levy within their service area?
Some people worry that the cable company may try to give access only to those individuals and groups most supportive of its business goals. The "Access Programming" section here generally addresses this concern. As long as there's programming by different communities of interest as well as by local neighbourhoods, and as long as a complaint can be made to the CRTC based on this policy, then diversity should be protected.
Of course paragraph 98 is the most important for any not-for-profit organization licensed for community programming. The licensee gets the community share of the cable company's gross revenues. You might think that would encourage the cable company to hang on to the community channel desperately but, as paragraph 58 points out, living up to the letter and spirit of community television represents "a significant challenge for certain community channel operators," and, one way or another, the cable companies still have to give up the money. It might be easier and ultimately more profitable to step graciously aside and run their corporate channels elsewhere on the dial.
Regarding community-based digital television, it's good that community access ethics will endure into the digital spectrum. Right now the new policy is general and inclusive. A review in a few years should be able to recognize successes and fine-tune the policy for the greatest public benefit.
One reason CMES is so pleased with this policy paper overall - and we do hope that 2001-129 becomes policy without substantial changes - is the anger and cynicism we hear in our regular community access volunteer work. The people you at the CRTC hear complaining are the optimists. Most of the people who need community TV - the new interns, people with important untold stories, the veteran volunteers - have just given up.

In 2001-129 we see a frank recognition of reality and it gives us hope.

For more information contact:
Community Media Education Society
1650 East Hastings St.
Vancouver, BC, Canada V5L 1S6
Phone: (604) 254-5844, Fax: (604) 254-7603
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/cmes
******************************************

NATIVES TO CANADA: BROADBAND NOW

Issue: Digital Divide
Canada's native people want to create a "First Nations Broadband Network" to bring high-speed Internet access to all indigenous communities across Canada, and are calling on the government to make the construction of the network a high priority. The primary purpose of the high-speed connection would be to provide health and education services to communities that cannot support full-time doctors, nurses or teachers said Matthew Coon Come, head of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) the national organization of native people in Canada. "If done properly, this will not be a handout. It will be a hand up, and an investment by Canada in itself. It will be 'inter-national' development between First Nations and the Canadian nation," Coon Come said. The AFN has estimated the cost of building the network at between $400 and $500 million, $112 million of which it has committed to raising for the project. AFN drafted the plan in response to the current government's election promise to make the Internet accessible in every part of Canada.

[SOURCE: Wired, AUTHOR: Michelle Delio]
(http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,1283,48184,00.html)

George Lessard, Media Specialist
glessard@gov.nu.ca
glessard@edu.nu.ca
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