Proceedings of the Standing Senate Committee on
Transport and Communications
Issue 6 - Forth and Fifth Reports of the Committee
Thursday, March 20, 2003
The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has the honour to present its
FOURTH REPORT
Your Committee, to which was referred Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act, has, in obedience to the Order of Reference of October 24, 2002, examined the said Bill and now reports the same without amendment. Your Committee appends to this report certain observations on the Bill.
Respectfully submitted,
JOAN FRASER
Chair
Observations of the Standing Senate
Committee on Transport and Communications on Bill S-8,
An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act
Your Committee endorses the content and philosophy of Bill S-8, namely that the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) should have the same power to award costs to interveners in broadcasting hearings that it has in telecommunications hearings. This support was previously noted in your Committee's Fourth Report during the First Session of the Thirty-Seventh Parliament. During the course of hearings on this Bill, however, witnesses raised several concerns.
The Bill does not specify the exact mechanism for the awarding of costs to interveners at broadcasting hearings. The Telecommunications Act does provide a model — one that officials from the CRTC thought worked well — but several witnesses expressed concerns. They said that hearings for broadcasting and telecommunications are not comparable. In particular, telecom hearings are more technical and attract a relatively small number of specialist interveners, including lawyers, economists and accountants. There is no ceiling on the awards at telecom hearings; the size of awards has varied considerably, from a low of $151.59 (Costs Order CRTC 2000-4) to a high of $305,091.64 (Taxation Order CRTC 98-6).
Broadcasting hearings tend to be less technical and attract a larger number of interveners. Some witnesses suggested that using the telecom model of cost awards could lead to more technical hearings for broadcasting, and the larger number of interveners could lead to higher total intervener costs for broadcasting hearings than for telecom hearings.
In addition, several witnesses suggested that small broadcasters and small, rural cable systems would be hurt if they had to pay intervener costs. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) also raised concerns about a possible financial burden if it were subject to the Bill. Large payments could harm the CBC's financial position and lead to a cut-back in services to Canadians.
While your Committee supports the Bill, it also urges all those involved in developing mechanisms for its implementation to pay particular attention to these issues.
Thursday, April 3, 2003
The Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications has the honour to present its
FIFTH REPORT
Your Committee, which was authorized by the Senate on Wednesday, March 19, 2003, to examine and report on the current state of Canadian media industries; emerging trends and developments in these industries; the media's role, rights, and responsibilities in Canadian society; and current and appropriate future policies relating thereto, respectfully requests that it be empowered to engage the services of such counsel and technical, clerical and other personnel as may be necessary, and to adjourn from place to place within Canada for the purpose of its study.
Pursuant to section 2:07 of the Procedural Guidelines for the Financial Operation of Senate Committees, the budget submitted to the Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration and the report thereon of that Committee are appended to this report.
Respectfully submitted,
LEONARD GUSTAFSON
Deputy Chair
STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
STUDY OF THE CANADIAN MEDIA
APPLICATION FOR BUDGET AUTHORIZATION
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING MARCH 31, 2004
Extract from the Journals of the Senate of Wednesday, March 19, 2003:
Resuming debate on the motion of the Honourable Senator Day, seconded by the Honourable Senator Gauthier:
That the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications be authorized to examine and report on the current state of Canadian media industries; emerging trends and developments in these industries; the media's role, rights, and responsibilities in Canadian society; and current and appropriate future policies relating thereto; and
That the Committee submit its final report to the Senate no later than Wednesday, March 31, 2004,
And on the motion in amendment of the Honourable Senator Stratton, seconded by the Honourable Senator Lynch-Staunton, that the motion be amended by removing all the words after the word "authorized'' and adding the following:
"to study the appropriate role of public policy in helping to ensure that Canadian news media remains healthy, independent and diverse, given changes in the media in recent years, notably globalization, technological change, convergence and concentration of ownership; and
That the Committee submit its final report to the Senate no later than Wednesday, March 31, 2004.''
After debate,
The question being put on the motion in amendment, it was negatived, on division.
The question then being put on the main motion, it was adopted.
Paul Bélisle
Clerk of the Senate
SUMMARY OF EXPENDITURES
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 129,000 |
|
Transport and Communications |
$ 282,750 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 23,500 |
|
Total |
$ 435,250 |
The above budget was approved by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications on Thursday, March 20, 2003.
The undersigned or an alternate will be in attendance on the date that this budget is considered.
_____________
_____________________________________________________________
Date
Chair, Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications
_____________
_____________________________________________________________
Date
Chair, Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration
STANDING SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
EXPLANATION OF BUDGET ITEMS
STUDY OF THE CANADIAN MEDIA
PROFESSIONAL AND OTHER SERVICES
1. Research Consultant (0401) |
$ 30,000 |
|
2. Communications Consultant (0432) |
$ 20,000 |
|
3. Working meals (0415) |
$ 8,000 |
|
4. Translation and Interpretation Services (0412) |
$ 35,000 |
|
5. Reporting (0403) (both languages) |
$ 35,000 |
|
6. Hospitality (0410) |
$ 1,000 |
|
Sub-Total |
$ 129,000 |
TRANSPORT AND COMMUNICATIONS
1.Travel Expenses (0201)
12 Senators, 2 Committee staff, 1 research staff, 1 stenographer, 3 interpreters, 1 media relations adviser (20 individuals)
(A) Travel to Western Canada for public hearings (September 2003)
(may also include a few hours of on-site visits)
|
i) Air Transport |
$63,180 $37,360 |
|
ii) Ground Transport (10 taxis x 20 x $25) |
$5,000) |
|
iii) Hotel Accommodation (6 nights x 20 x $180) |
$21,600) |
|
iv) Per diems (7 days x $70 x 20) |
$9,800) |
|
v) Contingencies (7 days x $500) |
$3,500) |
|
Sub-Total of above: $140,440 |
$ 140,450 |
(B) Travel to Atlantic Canada for public hearings (October 2003)
(may also include a few hours of on-site visits)
|
i) Air Transport |
$40,380 |
|
ii) Ground Transport (10 taxis x 20 x $25) |
$5,000 |
|
iii) Hotel Accommodation (6 nights x 20 x $180) |
$21,600 |
|
iv) Per diems (7 days x $70 x 20) |
$9,800 |
|
v) Contingencies (7 days x $500) |
$3,500 |
|
Sub-Total of above: $103,840 |
$ 103,850 |
(C) Travel to Ontario and Quebec for public hearings (January 2004)
(may also include a few hours of on-site visits)
i) Train travel (Senators to use passes) 8 x $505 |
$4,040 |
ii) Ground Transport (6 taxis x 20 x $25) |
$3,000 |
iii) Hotel Accommodation (5 nights x 20 x $200) |
$20,000 |
iv) Per diems (6 days x $70 x 20) |
$8,400 |
v) Contingencies (6 days x $500) |
$3,000 |
|
Sub-Total of above: $38,440 |
$ 38,450 |
Sub-Total $ 282,750
ALL OTHER EXPENDITURES
|
1. Rental (0500) |
|
|
Meeting room rentals (for hearings) (14 days x $1,000) |
$ 14,000 |
|
Equipment rentals (for hearings) (14 days x $500) |
$ 7,000 |
|
2. Books, newspapers, and magazines (0702) |
$ 2,500 |
|
Sub-Total |
$ 23,500 |
TOTAL $ 435,250
The Senate administration has reviewed this budget application.
________________________________________
____________________
Heather Lank, Principal Clerk of Committees
Date
________________________________________
____________________
Richard Ranger, Director of Finance
Date
APPENDIX (B) TO THE REPORT
Thursday, April 3, 2003
The Standing Committee on Internal Economy, Budgets and Administration has examined the budget presented to it by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications for the proposed expenditures of the said Committee for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2004 for the purpose of its Special Study on the current state of the Canadian media industries, as authorized by the Senate on Wednesday, March 19, 2003. The approved budget is as follows:
|
Professional and Other Services |
$ 84,000 |
|
Transportation and Communications |
$ 103,850 |
|
Other Expenditures |
$ 10,000 |
|
Total |
$ 197,850 |
Respectfully submitted,
LISE BACON
Chair