C.M.E.S on the Telus TV Channel

As some may remember from our Community Media Now Campaign, the CRTC is reviewing an application by the non-profit Community Media Education Society (C.M.E.S) to provide a community channel for Telus TV subscribers in British Columbia and Alberta. Brock MacLachlan, Lynda Leonard, and Richard Ward from C.M.E.S. recently made their case before the CRTC in Kelowna on November 1. A transcript of the proceedings is available online (beginning at paragraph 3368) and what follows is a report back from Brock MacLachlan:

Richard Ward, Lynda Leonard and myself eventually presented, in person, a brief on our license application. They heard us on Thursday afternoon, Nov 1st. It was quite an experience and I was most impressed with the way in which both Rick and Lynda performed. They were especially sharp in fielding the numerous questions on various issues related to our application.

The questions pertaining to how our community broadcasting undertaking would handle the difficulties related to the regional aspect of the license were especially tough. However, both Lynda and Rick were more than equal to this ordeal by fire. [...]

Anne Mainville-Neeson was the only Telus representative intervening against our application. Her presentation initially consisted of how much better and more appealing the Telus’ community channel programming production would be than anything our producers could do. The CRTC chair interrupted this form of presentation 3 times before Anne decided to change tacks. She then harangued the Commission for its decision to take our license seriously and that the actions of the Commission were effectively unprecedented and in breach of the Broadcasting Act. We didn’t think this strategy curried much favour with the Commissioners. Time will tell­ like in three months from now.

We had the opportunity to rebut the Telus’ intervention, which was handled admirably by Rick, to be followed by a burst of passion by yours truly­ in which I spoke of commercial media’s domination of the entire Canadian landscape and essentially we were trying to preserve a very small turf of that landscape for the community - and then brought to a gracious end by Rick. In the final analysis, Rick and Lynda provided the knowledge, expertise and technical smarts. I was more the impassioned interlocutor.

All in all, I think we made a pretty good presentation. [...]

Richard Ward's report provides additional detail about the event.