Media Centre > News Releases > Archive > 1996 > October 9, 1996

Real need for community channels in rural and remote areas

OTTAWA, October 9, 1996 - The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) says letters sent to the CRTC by groups in support of the community channel highlights the need to bring the community channel back to its roots as a community resource.

"The cable industry's strategy of drumming up letters to help it escape its full programming commitment hasn't worked," said CAB President Michael McCabe. "But the letters make it abundantly clear that what Canadians want is access programming on their community channels. That runs counter to cable's strategy of turning community channels into broad-based regional programming services to serve as a competitive advantage in battles with telcos and DTH."

Of more than 5,000 letters filed with the CRTC, almost 90% are from communities that have no locally-based broadcasters. Hardly any come from major markets like Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Vancouver, where most community channel spending takes place, and where viewers have access to numerous local broadcasters and other media.

"There's no need to allow cable companies in major markets to support community channel activities from their 5% production fund contribution," stressed McCabe. "The only real need for flexibility in the proposed 5% requirement is in remote and rural communities."

"We support the thousands of individuals and groups in such areas who rely heavily on community channels to exchange news and views and keep on top of local events," said McCabe. "Contrary to the scandalous misrepresentation of our position by the cable industry, we continue to support real community channels. No one has proposed their elimination."

CAB represents the vast majority of local serving, advertising supported television and radio stations.

Please contact:

Susan Tolusso
Director, Communications
(613) 233-4035 ext. 331
(stolusso@cab-acr.ca)