The following are the notes for a presentation to the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission on February 2, 2011. Of more than 500 interventions sent to the CRTC, the writer was one of the few who thought it was a really dumb idea. It should also be noted that the writer was one of the very few interveners who had no need to kiss the behind of anyone at BCE or CTV.
Mr. Chairman, Commissioners:
WHEN YOUR HEARINGS OFFICER CALLED TO ASK ME TO COME TODAY, SHE WAS SO ENCOURAGING THAT I THOUGHT I MIGHT NEGOTIATE SOME SMALL BENEFIT FOR MY TROUBLE. I ASKED HER IF THE CRTC NOW VALIDATED PARKING.
WHEN I FOUND IT NECESSARY TO EXPLAIN THE CONCEPT OF PAYING FOR YOUR GUESTS TO PARK, SHE RESPONDED BY TELLING ME ABOUT NEARBY OPEN AIR PARKING LOTS THAT ARE LESS EXPENSIVE.
I WAS A BIT DESPONDENT AFTER THAT CALL AS I REALIZED THAT IN THE PAST 50 YEARS, NOTHING MUCH HAS CHANGED IN OUR NATIONAL CAPITOL REGION.
IT IS PARTICULARLY DISCONCERTING TO REALIZE THAT THE SAME TERMINAL DISEASE THAT INFLICTED THE OLD BOARD OF BROADCAST GOVERNOURS 50 YEARS AGO MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM WITH TODAY’S CRTC.
AT THE TIME, THE BBG WAS VERY MUCH A CREATURE OF ITS MAIN CONCERN: THE CANADIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION. WE KNEW THAT THIS WOULD STIFLE A NEW AND BURDGEONING BROADCAST INDUSTRY IN CANADA AND AN INDEPENDENT CRTC WAS BORN.
I MAKE THAT COMMENT FOR JUST ONE REASON. IT IS THAT YOU ARE THE REGULATOR. YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SAY ‘NO.’ YOU WERE CREATED TO REGULATE BROADCAST IN CANADA ON BEHALF OF ALL CANADIANS.
YOU HARDLY NEED A COURT TO TELL YOU WHAT YOU CAN DO. YOU CAN SAY ‘YES’ OR ‘NO’ TO FEE-FOR-CARRIAGE. YOU CAN ALSO STOP THIS VERTICAL INTEGRATION OF BELL CANADA ENTERPRISES AND CTV.
IF YOU SAY ‘YES,’ YOU WILL HAVE REDUCED TELEVISION BROADCASTING AND DISTRIBUTION IN THIS COUNTRY TO FOUR COMPANIES. ARE YOU THEN GOING TO TRY FOR TWO?
PEOPLE AT THIS HEARING ARE ARGUING ABOUT THE VALUE OF THIS TRANSACTION. WHY CAN WE NOT ASK AROUND AND SEE IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO BUY CTV? I KNOW IT IS SIMPLISTIC BUT THE VALUE OF SOMETHING IS BEST DETERMINED BETWEEN A WILLING SELLER AND A WILLING BUYER.
I HAVE SPENT TOO MUCH TIME TRYING TO ASSESS THIS SO-CALLED BENEFITS PACKAGE. IT HELPS TO UNDERSTAND WHO BENEFITS.
AGAIN, AT THE RISK OF OVER SIMPLIFYING, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT SOME OF THE MORE INTERESTING SUGGESTIONS BE GIVEN THE TEST OF CREATING A PROPER BUSINESS PLAN. IF IT PASSES THAT TEST, WHY NOT DO IT? IF IT FAILS THE TEST, THEN ASK: WHO BENEFITS?
THE ONLY ‘BENEFIT’ THAT FAILED THE TEST WITH ME WAS THE ONE TO TURN ‘A’ CHANNEL IN BARRIE INTO A ‘SUPERSTATION’ COVERING SOUTHWEST ONTARIO. THAT IS SAD. THIS IS A PROPOSAL BY PEOPLE WHO FAILED GRADE SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY.
BARRIE IS NOT IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A BACK DOOR TO THE TORONTO TELEVISION MARKET. I LIVE THERE TODAY AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT BARRIE IS A PARTICULARLY BEAUTIFUL CITY AND, IN ADDITION TO BEING A TOURIST DESTINATION ITSELF, IT IS THE GATEWAY TO ONTARIO’S SUMMER AND WINTER PLAYGROUNDS AROUND GEORGIAN BAY AND IN MUSKOKA.
THIS SO-CALLED BENEFIT IS REALLY ‘GRASPING AT STRAWS’ AS CTV ALREADY CLOSED THE STATION THAT WAS THE LOGICAL SUPERSTATION IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO.
I CONCLUDE COMMISSIONERS WITH MY BASIC OPPOSITION TO BCE TAKING OVER CANADA’S LARGEST ENGLISH-LANGUAGE TELEVISION NETWORK.
IT IS A BAD IDEA FOR ONE OF THE WORST RUN COMPANIES OF ITS SIZE IN CANADA TO SPREAD ITS MANAGEMENT VIRUS THROUGHOUT THE CTV NETWORK.
THE LAST INTELLIGENT AND CONSISTENT DECISION OF BCE WAS WHEN JEAN MONTY DUMPED ITS NORTEL STOCK. MONTY WAS ALSO THE ONE WHO SAW THE CONFLUENCE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND TELEVISION TECHNOLOGIES AS THE FUTURE OF BELL CANADA. IT SHOULD NOT BE THE FUTURE FOR CTV.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.
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