Radio Review Public Hearing - CAB Appearing before CRTC



	for immediate release Transitional Measures to Move Beyond Controlled Market Entry Ottawa, May 15, 2006 – Appearing before the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) at the Public hearing on the Review of Commercial Radio Policy, Glenn O’Farrell, President and CEO of the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) said: “We respectfully suggest the fundamental difference we “Now” must recognize is that the cornerstone assumption of the environment that brought us this far – controlled market entry – will no longer regulate the audio services space as it has for all these years. And that changes everything.” “However, we cannot state with unassailable certainty how quickly the landscape will change in reflecting the reality of an open market as opposed to a controlled market. What is certain is that it will change, profoundly, and the evidence of impact is mounting, rapidly.” Mr. O’Farrell summarized the CAB presentation to the CRTC as follows: “A financially healthy radio industry, supported by good public policy since the last radio review, is positioned to face these new challenges and continue to serve the cultural and social policy objectives this Commission is entrusted to uphold. We have not proposed wholesale change to radio regulation. We have instead submitted proposals to maintain the principles of Canadian music exhibition requirements and Canadian Talent Development contributions, in addition to reconfirming the radio sector’s commitment to the broad regulatory contract with government, notwithstanding the technological undoing of its cornerstone assumption - controlled market entry. And given the changing circumstances in the environment, we propose to assess and monitor the impact of our proposals in three years from today, against the backdrop of hopefully, a clearer understanding of the appropriate regulatory directions for private radio.” The complete text of the CAB presentation is available at: http://www.cab-acr.ca/english/media/speeches/default.shtm Joining Mr. O’Farrell were: Rob Braide, Chairman of the CAB Board of Director and Vice-President & General Manager of CJAD/Mix96/CHOM-FM (Standard Radio), Rael Merson, Chair of the CAB Radio and President & CEO, Rogers Broadcasting Limited; Sarah Crawford , Chair of the CAB Diversity and Radio Working Group, Vice-President, Public Affairs CHUM Limited; Elmer Hildebrand, CAB Radio Strategy Committee, President & CEO, Golden West Broadcasting Ltd.; Mark Maheu, CAB Radio Strategy Committee, President, NewCap Inc; Jacques Parisien, Chair of CAB Francophone Radio Strategy Committee, President, Astral Media Radio; Lilianne Randall, CAB Music Issues Committee, Program Director, Réseau Rythme FM, Cogeco; Pierre-Louis Smith , CAB Vice-President, Radio; Susan Wheeler, CAB Senior Director, Policy & Regulatory Affairs. Along with the CAB panel appeared a panel of experts composed of: Ken Goldstein, President, Communications Management Inc; Pat Grierson, President, Canadian Broadcast Sales; and Wayne Stacey, President, Wayne Stacey & Associates Ltd. In 2006 the Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) celebrates 80 years as the national voice of Canada’s private broadcasters, representing the vast majority of Canadian programming services, including private radio and television stations, networks, specialty, pay and pay-per-view services. - 30 - For more information, please contact: Susan Tolusso Director, Communications (613) 233-4035 ext. 331 (stolusso@cab-acr.ca)