Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, and welcome to this public hearing.
My name is Michel Arpin, and I am the Vice-Chair of Broadcasting for the CRTC. I will be presiding over this hearing. Joining me on the panel are my colleagues, Helen del Val, Regional Commissioner for British Columbia and the Yukon, and Joan Pennefather, National Commissioner.
The Commission team assisting us includes the Hearing Manager Gerald Bergin, Manager of Broadcasting Technology; Legal Counsel Peter McCallum and Reynolds Mastin; and Hearing Secretary Chantal Boulet. Please speak with Ms. Boulet if you have any questions with regard to hearing procedures.
Proposed Alert Service
During this hearing, we will examine three proposals to provide Canadians with emergency alert services.
The need for a national alerting system has been apparent for some time, all the more so following the recent weather disasters in North America and throughout the world. Nevertheless, given the crucial role it will play, it is especially important that the merits of each of the proposed alerting systems be carefully considered. That is why we are here today.
The panel will first look at the proposal by Pelmorex Communications Inc. to amend the licence of The Weather Network/MétéoMédia to enable it to provide an all channel alert service to broadcasting distribution undertakings across Canada.
The service would broadcast alerts and messages related to imminent or unexpected threats to life or property caused by severe weather disturbances, natural disasters or other emergencies. To implement its project, the licensee is proposing to amend its licence and to increase its maximum authorized wholesale rate. Pelmorex is also asking the Commission to issue a distribution order pursuant to paragraph 9(1)(h) of the Broadcasting Act.
The panel will then hear the application by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Société Radio-Canada (CBC/SRC), which seeks to provide an emergency broadcasting public alert service through its radio transmitters.
The panel will also examine the proposal from Bell ExpressVu Limited Partnership to distribute emergency alerting services to its subscribers. The alert messages would take the form of fixed text, bilingual alphanumeric crawls and audio warnings.
The CBC/SRC and Bell ExpressVu request to be relieved of the obligation set out in Section 7(d) of the Broadcasting Distribution Regulations in order to obtain the agreement of the operator of the programming service, the network or the distribution undertaking prior to inserting an emergency alert message into the programming service.
In closing, I would like to point out that the hearing panel will be changed for item 6 of Broadcasting Notice of Public Hearing CRTC 2006-3, an application by Astral Broadcasting Group Inc. to renew the licence of VRAK-TV. Charles Dalfen, Chairman of the CRTC, will preside and be joined by Commissioners Helen del Val and Joan Pennefather.
Process
Before proceeding to our examination of the applications, I will now invite the Secretary, Ms. Chantal Boulet, to explain the procedures we will be following. Ms. Boulet …
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