ARCHIVED - Canadian Heritage

• In 2008-2009, the Department prepared a Government response to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage report entitled CBC/Radio-Canada: Defining Distinctiveness in the Changing Media Landscape. The report included 47 recommendations, mostly regarding the funding and mandate of CBC/Radio-Canada and about new media. The Government response, tabled on June 19, 2008, indicated that, "It is the policy of this government that CBC/Radio-Canada is and will remain Canada's national public broadcaster in English and French while recognizing CBC/Radio-Canada's freedom of expression and journalistic, creative and programming independence, as stipulated in the Broadcasting Act". Concerning the recommendations in the report that addressed CBC/Radio-Canada's operations, the response indicated the following: "Given that CBC/Radio-Canada operates at arm's length, the Government will not respond directly to these recommendations, and rather is confident that CBC/Radio-Canada will give the Committee's recommendations due consideration". The Government mentioned, in the response, that although it "strongly supports the principle of accountability to Canadians [...], a "Memorandum of Understanding" between CBC/Radio-Canada and the Government is not advisable under the current legislative framework." Finally, the Government recognized the importance of "meeting the needs of official-language minority communities" and "to contribute to shared national consciousness and identity".

Full version of the Government's response:
http://www.pch.gc.ca/pc-ch/org/sectr/ac-ca/ppr-bpp/ri-bpi/pubs/rep-cbc-eng.cfm

• In September 2008, the Governor in Council received petitions pursuant to section 28 of the Broadcasting Act asking to set aside or refer back the CRTC Broadcasting Decision 2008-222 in which it approved broadcasting license applications to operate new FM radio stations to serve Ottawa and Gatineau. On December 10, 2008, the Governor in Council referred back the decision to the CRTC and by doing so, the Government publicly recognized radio's contribution to the vitality of Anglophone and Francophone minority communities and highlighted the CRTC's obligations towards official-language minority communities. (More information is available at: http://www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2008/2008-12-10/html/si-tr141-eng.html.) The CRTC is expected to issue its decision in June 2009.