ARCHIVED - Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page

This page has been archived.

Section II – Analysis of Program Activities

2.1 Strategic Outcome 1 (S.O. 1)

Canadians have access to a wide variety of high-quality, Canadian-produced programming and to reliable, affordable and high-quality telecommunication services.

2.2 Program Activity: Canadian Broadcasting (S.O. 1)

2.2.1 Program Activity Expected Results

Program Activity: Canadian Broadcasting

Financial Resources ($ millions)				Human Resources (FTEs)
2009–10	2010–11	2011–12		2009–10	2010–11	2011–12
16.7	16.7	16.7		133	133	133

Program Activity Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
The Canadian broadcasting system is made up of a variety of voices that display Canada's linguistic and cultural diversity.	Diversity within the broadcasting system is reflected in the ownership of undertakings, the availability of programming genres and the language of broadcast.	Maintain the current levels of diversity as measured in the CRTC’s Communications Monitoring Report.
Canadians have access to the broadcasting system as licensees of new services, as audiences for high-quality programming and as participants in Commission proceedings.	The performance is measured by the number of applications received, the number of proceedings initiated by the CRTC, the number of interventions filed with the Commission and the number of Canadian broadcasting services licensed as a result of the proceedings.	Increase number of proceedings for new services by 10 per cent.

2.2.2 Program Activity Summary and Planning Highlights

Program Activity Summary: The CRTC has the authority to regulate and supervise all aspects of the Canadian broadcasting system. The CRTC derives this authority from the Broadcasting Act (S.C. 1991, c. 11, as amended).

The Commission regulates more than 2,000 broadcasters, including television, cable distribution, AM and FM radio, pay and specialty television, direct-to-home satellite, multipoint distribution systems, subscription television and pay-audio providers.

The CRTC holds public hearings, round-table discussions and informal forums to obtain input from the public and interested parties. The Commission also welcomes written comments.

In 2009–2010, the CRTC expects to process 1,000 broadcasting applications.

Planning Highlights: To achieve the program activity’s expected results, the CRTC will:

• support the evolution of fully digital over-the-air services by 2011 through policy reviews and licensing activities
• analyze the converged communications industry and report its findings to the public
• draft new regulations to ensure the availability of high-quality Canadian programs and the accessibility of programming for all Canadians, regardless of their origin or condition, without creating obstacles to the broadcasting sector’s economical development
• introduce new measures to reduce the amount of time required to process certain applications for new services, licence renewals and amendments, such as new frameworks for broadcasting distribution and discretionary programming
• collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that business and cultural challenges are successfully met
• implement, and assess the impact of, decisions from the “Diversity of Voices” public process
• monitor the ownership of local media in light of the Diversity of Voices policy
• study broadcasting’s role in the new media environment
• arbitrate disputes between telecommunications and broadcasting competitors
• initiate broadcasting-ownership reporting mechanisms, and collect and review broadcasting-ownership filings
• review licence renewals
• monitor compliance with Canadian ownership regulations among broadcasting and telecommunications companies
• monitor compliance with licence requirements among radio, television and broadcasting distribution licensees
• examine applications for transfers of shares, control and acquisition of assets, and
• investigate programming complaints.

2.3 Program Activity: Canadian Telecommunications (S.O. 1)

2.3.1 Program Activity Expected Results

Program Activity: Canadian Telecommunications

Financial Resources ($ millions)				Human Resources (FTEs)
2009–10	2010–11	2011–12		2009–10	2010–11	2011–12
13.4	13.5	13.5		130	130	130

Program Activity Expected Results	Performance Indicators	Targets
Ensure that Canadians have access to reliable telephone and other high-quality telecommunications services at just and reasonable rates, while at the same time providing the service providers with incentives to operate more efficiently and to be more innovative in the provision of services.	The percentage of Canadians who have access to wire line and wireless services. The average percentage increase in Primary Exchange Service rates for a given year. The number of complaints we receive regarding quality of service issues.	Ensure that the proposed rates for telecommunications services meet pricing constraints imposed by the Commission. Monitor quality-of-service indicators to ensure that the the service providers deliver high-quality services. Ensure there is no increase, from the current level, in the number of quality-of-service complaints.
Implementation of the policy objectives of the Telecommunications Act through an increased reliance on market forces.	Market statistics such as wireline telecommunications revenue market share by type of service provider (percent) and total telecommunications revenues by type of service provider (dollars).	The Commission’s target is to remove regulatory obstacles to maximize the reliance on market forces, foster an efficient and competitive market, as well as to regulate only in cases where the market fails to fulfill the Telecommunication Act’s objectives. Historically, competitor revenue growth has been approximately two per cent per year. The Commission's target is for the continuation of this trend.

2.3.2 Program Activity Summary and Planning Highlights

Program Activity Summary: The CRTC derives its regulatory authority over telecommunications from the Telecommunications Act (S.C. 1993, c. 38, as amended) and the Bell Canada Act (S.C. 1987, c.19, as amended). The CRTC has the authority to regulate and supervise Canada’s telecommunications carriers and service providers.

The CRTC also has the authority to refrain from regulating particular services so long as its actions are consistent with the policy objectives of the Telecommunications Act, and do not unduly impair competition. Since the late 1990s, the Commission has refrained from regulating a significant portion of telecommunications services when there is sufficient free-market competition to protect the interests of Canadians.

In December 2006, the governor-in-council issued a policy direction to the Commission to rely on market forces to the maximum extent feasible as the means of achieving the Telecommunications Act’s policy objectives.

The CRTC regulates the more than 80 telecommunications carriers in Canada.

The CRTC holds public processes, round-table discussions and informal forums to obtain input from the public and interested parties. The Commission also welcomes written comments.

In 2009–2010, the CRTC expects to process approximately 1000 applications from the telecommunications industry.

Planning Highlights: To achieve the program activity’s expected results, the CRTC will:

• educate the public and telemarketers about the National Do Not Call List (DNCL) its associated telemarketing rules, investigate complaints and enforce the rules
• monitor the efficient deployment of enhancements to the 911 emergency system that will allow dispatchers to determine with much greater accuracy the location of a person making an emergency call using a cellphone
• ensure that the newly implemented tariff-approval mechanisms and other streamlined regulatory requirements are understood by the telecommunications industry, and efficiently address applications under these new rules
• track tariff-change notifications to ensure that telecommunications service providers meet pricing constraints
• facilitate dispute resolution between competitors through means such as mediation, written proceedings and the use of CRTC Interconnection Steering Committee
• monitor the number and nature of complaints its receives
• review the economic and social regulatory measures identified in the action plans established in Telecom Decisions 2007-51 and 2008-34
• consider the telecommunications industry’s requests to refrain from regulating particular services, and
• address applications from incumbent telephone companies for adjustments to the rates and terms on which wholesale services are to be made available to competitors.

2.4 Strategic Outcome 2 (S.O.2)

The following program activity supports all strategic outcomes within the CRTC.

2.5 Program Activity: Internal Services (S.O. 2)

2.5.1 Program Activity Expected Results

Program Activity: Internal Services*

Financial Resources ($ millions)				Human Resources (FTEs)
2009–10	2010–11	2011–12		2009–10	2010–11	2011–12
15.9	16	16		162	162	162

*Internal Services are a new program activity for all federal organizations. They are defined by the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat as follows:

Internal Services are groups of related activities and resources that are administered to support the needs of programs and other corporate obligations of an organization. These groups are: management and oversight, communications, legal, human resources management, financial management, information management, information technology, real property, materials, acquisitions, and travel and other administrative services. Internal Services include only those activities and resources that apply across an organization and not to those provided specifically to a program.

2.5.2 Program Activity Summary and Planning Highlights

Program Activity Summary: This section is intended to establish expectations for Internal Services  and monitor overall service performance of the Commission. The CRTC has a governance mechanism and procedures in place to ensure that services are delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner.

The coordination of all public processes and hearings is managed by the Secretary General, and falls under this program activity.

The CRTC already has a full schedule of public consultations and processes planned for 2009–2010. These hearing will focus on issues such as: radio licence applications and renewals, conventional television licence renewals, Internet traffic management practices, CBC/SRC licence renewals, the mandatory channel carriage under paragraph 9(1)h) of the Broadcasting Act, and community broadcasting television and radio policy consultations. During 2009–2010, the Commission expects to issue decisions on hearings that took place in 2008–2009, such as new media, accessibility and official languages, and undertake follow-up activities.

As a federal quasi-juridical commission, the Commission relies on legal advice for its public processes, complaints-treatment methods and decisions. The CRTC’s legal services provide input in all aspects of the Commission’s work.
 
Strategic communications are essential to ensure that Canadians and stakeholders have access to timely, up-to-date and clear information. Communications services provide advice and support to all areas of the CRTC and manage any complaints. In a given year, these services respond to an average of more than 22,700 telephone calls and 23,000 letters of inquiries and complaints. With the advent of the National Do Not Call List, the Commission expects that correspondence will increase significantly during 2009–2010.

The CRTC strives to expand its international dialogue to better study the scope of the alliances and companies that are formed around the world, and to better understand the pressures that these new arrangements bring to bear on the Canadian market. For instance, the CRTC will host the International Institute of Communications conference in Montreal from October 24 to 27, 2009. 

The CRTC will continue to attend conferences, and consult and meet with Canadian and international stakeholders, to gain a better understanding of the evolution of the communications environment.

Planning Highlights: To achieve the program activity’s expected results, the CRTC will:

• educate the public on the Canadian transition to fully digital television by 2011
• accelerate its public-proceedings process
• adjust and measure progress on new tools, such as a streamlined website and intranet site, and new internal financial policies
• implement its human resources continuity framework and talent-development process
• recruit employees from outside the federal public service, including a 30 per cent target for visible minorities
• communicate with national, interdepartmental and international stakeholders to share information and best practices, and
• modernize employee desktop operating systems to increase software and databases interoperability and overall effectiveness.

2.6 Benefits to Canadians

Over the next three years, each of CRTC’s three program activities will give Canadians access to a wide variety of high-quality, Canadian-produced programming, and to reliable, affordable and high-quality telecommunication services. More specifically, Canadians will realize the following economic, cultural and social benefits:

• access to high-quality Canadian programming
• affordable and diversified telecommunications services
• better safety as a result of an improved 911 emergency-response system that enables dispatchers to determine the location of a person who uses a cellphone to make a 911 call with much greater accuracy
• a healthy and diversified Canadian communications industry
• a flexible and forward looking regulatory framework that responds to evolving consumer needs and industry realities
• meaningful relationships with Canadian and international policy-makers to benefit from best practices
• timely and efficient complaints-resolution mechanisms;
• a diversity of voices within the Canadian communications industry
• an effective National Do Not Call List that enables Canadians to reduce the number of unsolicited telecommunications they receive
• clear rules on the mandating of wholesale services by incumbent telephone companies to enhance competition
• responsive actions to stakeholder concerns and reduced burden of the current systems, and
• a forum, through the Official Language Minority Community-CRTC Working Group, for the development and promotion of the bilingual character of Canada, maximizing community participation in the CRTC’s public processes and enhancing the CRTC’s decision-making process.

• Previous Page
• Table of Contents
• Next Page