Canada-wide
The Transition to Digital Over-the-Air Television: New Opportunities
Community TV Policies and Practices Worldwide - report
An exhaustive survey of community TV policies and practices worldwide, in all 28 countries where it is known to exist.
It is authored by Catherine Edwards, the spokesperson of the Canadian Association of Community Television Users and Stations.
Feedback and input to this document are welcome, as the situation by country is dynamic.
Clicking on the "View Resource link" will download the full document to your computer.
Suggested Board of Directors for Community-Access Media Centres
This board structure has been developed by CACTUS based on best practices in public-access television and media worldwide.
BECOMING A MEMBER, RENEWING YOUR MEMBERSHIP or MAKING A DONATION
We'd like to welcome as members both individuals and other organizations. As individuals, you are TV viewers and many of you have participated in TV production at community TV channels.
We welcome member organizations including community TV channels and producing groups, and others within the broadcasting industry and civil society that share our support of Canadian content, diversity, and free expression.
For more information or to renew your membership, click the appropriate link below:
● individual non-voting member
● organizational non-voting member
● organizational voting member
If you are not interested to become a member but would like to make a one-time donation to CACTUS, click here:
CACTUS Prepares Feedback for a Code of Best Practices for Cable Community Channels
As a result of the new community TV policy announced on Aug. 28th, the CRTC has asked cable companies to draft a code of access "best practices", and have sent to CACTUS and to the Fédération des télévisions communautaires autonomes du Québec a draft for review by Jan. 20th.
While neither CACTUS nor the Fédération was initially invited to participate in the "industry working group" to generate the code, CACTUS drew attention to the oversight at the Shaw cable license renewal in September. The CRTC responded by requesting cable companies in the working group to consult us.
CACTUS is discussing the draft code within its membership and with interested parties. If you would like to be included in this process, please e-mail Cathy Edwards at cedwards at timescape dot ca.
CACTUS is delighted that the CRTC has acknowledged that the public should be included in decisions about governance of community channels.
Once the working group submits its final draft code to the CRTC at the end of February, it will be offered to the public for comment, at which time any member of the public can intervene directly.
CACTUS Brief for the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage Nov. 2010
The Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage conducted a study in the fall of 2010 into the role of the CBC, small and independent broadcasters, and new media platforms in an environment of increasing media ownership concentration.
CACTUS presented both the challenges to community broadcasters of this environment as well as the important role the community sector could play to address these challenges.
CACTUS Comment on Local1 Application by Corus
CACTUS oral comments made in response to Public Policy Notice 2010-551, the application by Corus for a network of weather and local information channels. Since the proposed channels would be located in the same communities where there is currently a community channel facility operated by Corus' parent company, Shaw Communications, and since Shaw's community channels already offer a Local1-like combo of weather and community news, CACTUS was concerned that the license being sought would repurpose existing community channel content, without addressing the access problems on those community channels.
(Although oral comments are typically limited to 10 minutes and may not be as detailed as written interventions, they are generally more up to date and can take into account and respond to positions presented by other parties. Both oral and written comments can also be found on the CRTC web site by searching by the notice number.)
CACTUS Oral Comment on Shaw-License Renewal 2010-497
CACTUS oral comments made in response to Public Policy Notice 2010-497, cable license renewals for Shaw Communications' 22 Western systems. Since Shaw appears to operate only 11 access studio facilities throughout these 22 license areas (and operated in excess of 50 in the 1990s), CACTUS requested that at least one access studio be maintained in each license area. (Although oral comments are typically limited to 10 minutes and may not be as detailed as written interventions, they are generally more up to date and can take into account and respond to positions presented by other parties. Both oral and written comments can also be found on the CRTC web site by searching by the notice number.)
CACTUS Intervention to Shaw Purchase of Canwest
CACTUS Intervention Made to Public Policy Notice 2010-498, the purchase of Canwest assets by Shaw Communications.
CACTUS endorses Shaw's offer to share transmission facilities (including the possibility of multiplexing) with local and community broadcasters in Global markets.
The document represents the oral comments made by CACTUS, rather than the initial written intervention. (Although oral comments are typically limited to 10 minutes and may not be as detailed as written interventions, they are generally more up to date and can take into account and respond to positions presented by other parties. Both oral and written comments can also be found on the CRTC web site by searching by the notice number.)
CACTUS and Public Policy: Fall 2010
In the wake of the CRTC's new community TV policy, announced August 28th, CACTUS has participated in three CRTC hearing processes related to Shaw Communications, and presented a brief before the Standing Committee Heritage regarding the role of small broadcasters in an increasingly consolidated media environment:
1) CACTUS intervened in the Shaw purchase of Canwest to support Shaw's offer to share transmission facilities with local and community broadcasters. This offer could considerably reduce the costs for community over-the-air broadcasters to launch in any market where Global is present.
2) CACTUS intervened in the Shaw license renewals to point out that of the 22 license areas in which Shaw was seeking a renewal, CACTUS could only confirm that 11 access studios exist. CACTUS asked that studios be reopened in the license areas that currently have no access facilities. This request was denied by the CRTC.
3) CACTUS intervened in the license application by Corus for a network of pseudo-weather community information channels called Local1, which would be located in the same communities where there is currently a Shaw community channel facility. Since Shaw's community channels already offer a Local1-like combo of weather and community news, CACTUS was concerned that the license being sought would repurpose existing community channel content, without addressing the access problems on those community channels.
4) CACTUS presented a brief before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage regarding the role of and challenges faced by the community sector in an increasingly consolidated media landscape. We focussed both on community channels themselves and on the potential represented by the upcoming digital transition.
Copies of each of these presentations can be found in the Resources section of this web site, or by clicking the highlighted links.
