CRTC postpones CanCon hearings due to federal election

A person navigates to the on-line social-media pages of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on a cell phone in Ottawa on May 17, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — The federal broadcast regulator has postponed three public hearings dealing with Canadian content.

In notices Monday, the CRTC says it will not hold the hearings as originally scheduled because of the federal election, and will announce new dates at a later time.

The public service must operate under the caretaker convention during elections, which limits their activities to matters that are routine, non-controversial, urgent and in the public interest, reversible or agreed to by opposition parties.

The CRTC has postponed its hearing on how to redefine Canadian content, which originally was scheduled to start March 31.

It also has postponed a May hearing looking at how the Canadian broadcasting system can survive the shift away from traditional TV to international streamers, and a June hearing focusing on audio content.

The consultations are part of the CRTC’s implementation of the Online Streaming Act, which the Conservative Party has pledged to repeal if elected.

Article by Anja Karadeglija.