CRTC to Review Non-Canadian TV Content After Fox News Debate

The CRTC will hold public consultations on its regulatory approach governing non-Canadian TV services, following a review of over 7,000 submissions in response to Egale Canada’s application to remove Fox News from Canadian airwaves, reports Broadcast Dialogue.

In April, the 2SLGBTQI advocacy organization sent an open letter to commission chair Vicky Eatrides calling for removal of Fox News from the list of non-Canadian programming authorized for distribution in Canada. The group’s complaint maintained Fox News’ programming is in clear violation of Canadian broadcasting standards.

“People in Canada deserve to know that the news broadcast on Canadian airwaves is reliable and objective, and marginalized groups must be protected from malicious propaganda,” stated the letter. “The public interest clearly demands a consultation on the appropriateness of the continued inclusion of Fox News on the List.”

The commission informed Egale Canada this week that after carefully considering the thousands of interventions submitted, “it has become clear that the current decades-old regulatory approach for overseeing non-Canadian television services requires a review.”

“As evidenced by the more than 7,000 interventions filed in response to its publication, the application raises issues of great importance to Canadians. While many of the interventions shared Egale’s concerns, others expressed opposing views. Almost all agreed that the application raises serious concerns relating to the protection of and respect for fundamental Canadian rights and freedoms,” the commission letter stated, going on to say that a review would ensure its determinations on non-Canadian services are “consistent, fair and transparent.”

Following the public consultation, the CRTC would then assess Egale’s specific application under an updated approach.

Egale is urging the CRTC to move the process along sooner, rather than later.

“We ask the CRTC to proceed with urgency, as the lack of an effective framework to address violations of Canadian broadcasting law by non-Canadian programming services means that these violations can continue indefinitely,” the organization stated.