OTTAWA – 23 September 2022 – The National Pensioners Federation (NPF) and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) today welcomed Cabinet’s decision on 16 petitions to set aside and rehear the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) decision on licences for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation / Société Radio-Canada’s (CBC/SRC) TV and radio services.

NPF and PIAC had filed its own Petition to Cabinet to set aside the decision, arguing the CRTC had not considered the interests of citizens and consumers, in particular seniors, in the continuing role of CBC/SRC in maintaining the Canadian broadcasting system,  in particular, linear TV and radio services.

“PIAC is very pleased that Cabinet overturned the flawed CRTC decision on CBC/Radio Canada’s licences and we look forward to arguing at the re-hearing for adequate Canadian content to be produced and available to all Canadians no matter what platform they use to affordably access our national public broadcaster,” said John Lawford, counsel to PIAC and NPF. “We trust the CRTC’s new decision will now fit with the new broadcasting regime under Bill C-11,” he added.

The Cabinet decision noted in particular the importance of CBC/RC to Canadians for the delivery of Canadian content, including local and national news, original French-language programming, and programming produced by independent producers, in both official languages.

“Seniors need to be informed, and connected to other Canadians – CBC is crucial to their day,” added Trish McAuliffe, President of NPF. “We are pleased the Cabinet understood the depth of seniors commitment to our national public broadcaster.”

For more information:

Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)

John Lawford
Executive Director and General Counsel
Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC)
(613) 562-4002 ext. 125
jlawford@piac.ca

National Pensioners Federation

Trish McAuliffe
President
National Pensioners Federation
905-706-5806
Trish.mcauliffe@npfmail.ca