CRTC must oblige Vidéotron to restore English-language community television station
MONTREAL, June 18, 2013 – The English Language Arts Network (ELAN), with support from the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), is building an alliance to intervene at the impending CRTC public hearings concerning Vidéotron’s Montreal licence renewal . The licence affects the 600,000 English-speaking Quebecers living in the Greater Montreal region.
Last night ELAN held a public meeting to begin creating an alliance of community groups, educators, artists and TV producers to request that CRTC make an English-language community TV channel a requirement for Vidéotron’s licence renewal.
“The CRTC, which will review Videotron’s licence conditions this summer, will scrutinize the cable company’s responsibility toward its English-speaking audience,” said ELAN President Peter MacGibbon. Quebec’s English-speaking community was absent the last time Vidéotron’s licence was renewed seven years ago and the result has been a complete absence of community TV production in English, he said.
