Group claims odds stacked in favour of industry, not Canadian public
OpenMedia.ca, a non-profit group dedicated to educating the public about Canadian media and telecommunications policy, is boycotting the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) upcoming proceeding on over-the-top (OTT) content.
It’s not the only public interest entity not participating in the proceeding: the Public Interest Advocacy Centre isn’t taking part either.
Dubbed as a national “public engagement organization,” OpenMedia.ca is a pro-internet group that advocates an open communications system in Canada. The group is concerned that the CRTC has structured said proceeding so that the outcome will benefit the industry over the Canadian public.
The hearings, rumoured to take place in the fall, involve potential regulations on online video services such as Netflix, YouTube and AppleTV.
“As many know, Canada has ISPs restricting access to online content and services through technical and economic means like usage-based billing and discriminatory throttling,” Steve Anderson, executive director of OpenMedia.ca, told Marketing. “Fixing these problems should be the first step toward supporting Canadian culture online.”
He added that the CRTC should conduct independent research into how effective broadcast regulations are in supporting Canadian culture before imposing broadcast-era regulation on online services. “We feel broadcast regulations are themselves problematic, and that those problems should be addressed before imposing them on online services,” said Anderson.
He also said there is no evidence that OTT providers are posing a serious challenge to traditional broadcasters. “We need to examine this evidence before imposing regulations on online content, otherwise it may well be a solution in search of a problem.”
That being said, Anderson said OpenMedia.ca has no interest in participating in a proceeding “where the cards are so clearly stacked against the public.”
An OpenMedia.ca release about its boycott quotes Michael Geist, Canada research chair in internet and e-commerce law and a law professor at the University of Ottawa. Geist said the CRTC has made obstacles that prevent the public from participating in the consultation.
Public interest groups that would like to take part aren’t receiving compensation from the CRTC. As Anderson said, the CRTC typically covers “costs associated with unique contributions to the hearing.” These costs normally include things like research, legal fees and paying for expert opinions.
Geist believes the lack of funding to the public interest groups to take part shows bias on the CRTC’s part. He believes the Commission “caved to pressure from a small group of powerful stakeholders without regards for consumer interests.”
Anderson added that making it hard for under-funded organizations that speak on behalf of the public to take part “only feeds public frustration and the perception of regulatory capture.”
He also said that the CRTC gave guidance on lobbying to industry players. While he said OpenMedia.ca doesn’t know what the CRTC and the big telecom companies are discussing in closed door meetings, “we have seen on more than one occasion the chair of the CRTC encourage industry players to form a cohesive lobby group and to lobby the government in their interests.”
