Canada-wide
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Executive Summary of CACTUS Analysis of Cable Community Channel Logs 2011
The three-page executive summary of CACTUS' full analysis of cable community channel logs submitted for March 6-12, 2011.
2011 CRTC Community Channel Audit
In 2011, the CRTC conducted the most comprehensive audit of cable community channels ever undertaken. CACTUS has examined these logs and has published a comprehensive analysis of cable company claims (regarding local and access contents).
CRTC Audit of Cable Community TV Reveals Same Pattern of Abuse as Previous Audits
CACTUS just completed its review of cable company logs submitted by Rogers, Shaw, Eastlink, Cogeco and Videotron as part of the most comprehensive audit ever conducted by the CRTC of cable community channels. The logs detail all the programming aired on cable community channels in selected licence areas for March 6-12, 2011.
The findings? The same widespread abuse of this community resource as was revealed by the CRTC's previous audits, conducted in 2002-2005. As in 2002-2005, many cable companies failed to meet the 60% local programming minimum that is a standard condition of their licences, and almost all failed to meet the 30% minimum for programming produced by community members (as opposed to programming produced by cable company staff).
Also as in 2002-2005, programs are frequently claimed as "access" (produced by someone in the community) when in fact the companies' web sites suggest they are driven by cable staff. Some cable companies are charging community groups for access; others employ network templates for programs, which are used over a large area.
For us at CACTUS, these findings are no surprise. As we have stated in several public proceedings, the time when it made sense for small mom-and-pop locally based cable companies to administer community channels and media resources is long past. Canada's big five cable companies have no place in the "community media" universe; Canada continues to be the only country in the world in which "community media" is not administered by communities... duh!
Since the audit week occurred just six months into the CRTC's new community TV policy (issued in August of 2010), we are sceptical that the targets of the new policy can be met. If cable companies cannot meet the 30% access programming minimum currently in force, we fail to see how they will be able to ramp up to the 50% access expectation that the CRTC has announced by 2014.
For a full copy of our findings, click here:
Politiques de télévision communautaires et pratiques dans le monde
Un rapport au sujet de la télévision communautaire autour le monde... dans 28 pays. Preparé pour le CRTC en juin, 2009.
The Transition to Digital Over-the-Air Television: New Opportunities
Community TV Policies and Practices Worldwide - report
An exhaustive survey of community TV policies and practices worldwide, in all 28 countries where it is known to exist. It is authored by Catherine Edwards, the spokesperson of the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations.
Suggested Board of Directors for Community-Access Media Centres
Help Us Grow: Become a Member or Make a Donation
As we enter a new year, we face several challenges and opportunities:
- We have a new community TV policy that recognizes past problems with access to cable-administered community channels (CRTC 2010-622).
- We are part of an on-going process with the cable companies and the CRTC to see how this new policy can be applied. Will it lead to more genuine access to cable community channels? Can it be used to generate funding for non-profit, community-owned TV channels?
- We are also part of a broad-based industry and civil-society coalition asking for a national education campaign in advance of the digital TV transition. We see it as an opportunity to educate municipalities about their potential role as broadcasters and rebroadcasters.
- We are engaged in the spectrum auction design process for the former TV channels 62 to 69, to ensure that some of that spectrum is set aside for public uses, such as distribution of community content.
- And last but not least, we celebrate the CRTC's decision that will require Bell to offer independent community TV channels as part of its basic service! This decision was a direct result of CACTUS' intervention, and an endorsement of the importance of our fledgling sector.
To enable us to continue to grow, we need your help. Up until now, we have been a web site and an e-mail list of interested supporters. In 2010, we incorporated as a non-profit, with the following board of directors:
Cathy Edwards - national co-ordinator
Patrick Watt - representative of the Maritimes and over-the-air TV community licence holders
Ivan Traill - representative of the Prairies, over-the-air licence holder and cable co-operative community TV channel
CACTUS Prepares Feedback for a Code of Best Practices for Cable Community Channels
As a result of the new community TV policy announced on Aug. 28th, the CRTC has asked cable companies to draft a code of access "best practices", and have sent to CACTUS and to the Fédération des télévisions communautaires autonomes du Québec a draft for review by Jan. 20th.
While neither CACTUS nor the Fédération was initially invited to participate in the "industry working group" to generate the code, CACTUS drew attention to the oversight at the Shaw cable license renewal in September. The CRTC responded by requesting cable companies in the working group to consult us.
CACTUS is discussing the draft code within its membership and with interested parties. If you would like to be included in this process, please e-mail Cathy Edwards at cedwards at timescape dot ca.
CACTUS is delighted that the CRTC has acknowledged that the public should be included in decisions about governance of community channels.
Once the working group submits its final draft code to the CRTC at the end of February, it will be offered to the public for comment, at which time any member of the public can intervene directly.
