On 28 September 2022 the CRTC invited public comment on an application submitted by four cable distribution companies about the rate they are allowed to charge for their ‘basic’ cable package.
Somewhat unusually the notice of consultation did not include an HTML link to the actual application, apparently submitted on 5 January 2022.
When contacted (through the CRTC’s general-information number), it was suggested that the CRTC’s ‘public-examination room’ be contacted: pre-internet this group kept physical copies of all applications and materials related to individual licensees.
The CRTC’s Exam Room sent me the document within a much-appreciated 90 minutes: here is the 5 January 2022 Part 1 Application for a condition of licence with respect to section 17.1 of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations.
Since then the CRTC has added a link on the page for the 2022-267 notice, to “Reference 2022-00-19-5”. Clicking on this link downloads the materials filed by the four applicants and four other TV service providers (aka broadcasting distribution undertakings or BDUs), in response to questions from the CRTC. The questions centred on information about numbers of subscribers to different types of TV packages, and the respondents to these questions filed this information in confidence with the Commission.
On 24 October 2022 FRPC submitted a procedural request asking the CRTC to publish the answers, aggregated to the level of the number of respondents so as to maintain the confidentiality of the information for the individual respondents, while providing useful and relevant evidence for the public.
UPDATE #1: the CRTC on 26 October 2022 (5 pm ET) invited the respondents to comment (by 28 October 2022, the proceeding deadline), and offered FRPC the opportunity to comment on the replies by Hallowe’en 2022.
UPDATE #2: on 27 October 2022 the applicants affirmed that they did not object to the CRTC’s aggregation of their answers to the Commission’s questions
UPDATE #3: also on 27 October 2022 the CRTC extended the deadline for submitting interventions about raising the monthly basic service rate from $25 to $28, to 28 November 2022, and the deadline for interveners to reply to other interventions, to 12 December 2022