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Research note: finding data about Canadian broadcasting, telecommunications and convergence

(28 November 2017)

Undertaking empirical research about Canada’s electronic media is an exercise that, for the most part, is strongly rooted in the past:  it is often easier to find accurate data about the past, than about the future.  (Statistics Canada, for example, provides estimates about the future, and develop those estimates using different assumptions:  see  Population projections: Canada, the provinces and territories, 2013 to 2063.)

At times, however, it is difficult to locate historical documents about broadcasting and telephony.

In terms of ‘raw’ data about broadcasting and telecommunications, the Government of Canada publications website currently provides PDF copies of telecommunications and broadcasting dating to the early 1900s – to 1911 in the case of telephones, and to 1929 in the case of radio.

The CRTC has also published data about the companies it regulates.  From 1968 to the early 1990s it offered basic data about broadcasting and telecommunications in its annual reports.  It began to issue annual reports on broadcasting and on telecommunications in 2000 (releasing its first Broadcasting Policy Monitoring Report in November 2000 at the annual convention of The Canadian Association of Broadcasters in Calgary, Alberta; the earliest of CRTC telecom reports on the federal government collections website appears to be from 2006.)  The CRTC’s first ‘converged’ report, containing data about broadcasting and telecommunications, was issued in 2008.

Another useful source of data – and analysis – can be found in the reports issued by Parliament, federal departments and the CRTC about specific topics.  If you are looking for data, analysis and research related to Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications, the 107 reports that we located (which include a few reports on copyright and film) are set out below:

 

Year Subject Report
1928 Broadcasting Minister of Marine and Fisheries (15 November 1928):  Report
1929 Broadcasting Royal Commission on Radio Broadcasting, Report (Ottawa, 1929), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/bcp-pco/CP32-104-1929-eng.pdf
1938 Broadcasting Select Standing Committee to review the policies of the CBC
1951 Broadcasting Royal Commission on National Development in the Arts, Letters and Sciences, Special Committee on Radio Broadcasting, https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/massey/h5-400-e.html
1957 Broadcasting Royal Commission on Broadcasting, Report (Ottawa, 15 March 1957), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/bcp-pco/Z1-1955-37-1-eng.pdf [Fowler Report]
1960 Broadcasting Glassco:  Royal Commission on Government Organization
1960 Broadcasting Board of Broadcast Governors, Royal Commission on Activities of Station CHEK-TV, Victoria, B.C.:  Report, Report in response to OIC 1960-1211 (8 September 1960), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/bcp-pco/Z1-1960-eng.pdf
1965 Broadcasting Fowler:  Advisory Committee on Broadcasting
1966 Broadcasting White Paper on Broadcasting – formed the basis of the 1968 Broadcasting Act
1970 Broadcasting Special Senate Committee on Mass Media, Report [Davey committee]
1971 Broadcasting Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Arctic co-operative radio broadcasts, (Ottawa, 1971) http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/aanc-inac/R74-35-1971-eng.pdf
1973 Broadcasting In March, 1973 the federal government issued a Green Paper titled, Proposals for a Communications Policy for Canada
1979 Telecommunications Clyne committee Report of the Consultative Committee on the Implications of Telecommunications for Canadian Sovereignty
1981 Broadcasting Kent:  Royal Commission on Newspapers
1982 Broadcasting Applebaum-Hebert: Federal Cultural Policy Review Committee
1983 Broadcasting Department of Communications, “Towards a New National Broadcasting Policy”
1983 Broadcasting Department of Communications, “Building for the Future:  Towards a Distinctive CBC”
1984 Telecommunications Department of Communications, From Gutenberg to Telidon, (Ottawa, 1984)
1985 Broadcasting Neilsen report:  Federal Task Force on Program Review published its recommendations on culture and communications
1985 Film Film Industry Task Force, Canadian Cinema – A Solid Base:  Report, (Ottawa, 1985) [Raymond-Roth]
1986 Broadcasting Task Force on Broadcasting Policy, Report, (Ottawa, 1986) [Caplan-Sauvageau]
1986 Broadcasting Federal-Provincial Committee on the Future of French-Language Television issued its report
1986 Film Task Force on the Non-Theatrical Film Industry, Report, (Ottawa, 1986) [Jensen-Macerola]
1987 Broadcasting House of Commons Standing Committee on Communications and Culture:  Sixth Report
1987 Broadcasting Department of Communications, Communications for the Twenty-First Century:  Media and Messages in the Information Age (Ottawa, 1987)
1991 Broadcasting Girard-Peters Task Force: Report on the Economic Status of Television
1991 Broadcasting Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing, Reforming Electoral Democracy, Vol 1 (Ottawa, Minister of Supply and Services Canada:  1991), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/bcp-pco/Z1-1989-2-1-1991-1-eng.pdf
1991 Telecommunications Marion G. Wrobel, Library of Parliament, Telecommunications: the demise of natural monopoly and its implications for regulation, Backgrounder (Ottawa, 1991)
1992 Broadcasting Standing Committee on Communications and Culture, The Ties that Bind, (Ottawa, 1992)
1992 Broadcasting Royal Commission on Electoral Reform and Party Financing, Reforming Electoral Democracy, Vol. 1 http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2016/bcp-pco/Z1-1989-2-1-1991-1-eng.pdf
1992 Broadcasting Industry Canada. Communications for the Twenty-First Century: Media and Messages in the Information Age. Ottawa, 1992.
1992 Telecommunications Communications Canada, A spectrum policy framework for Canada (Ottawa, 1992)
1992 Telecommunications Communications Canada, Telecommunications in Canada: an overview of the carriage industry, (Ottawa, 1992)
1992 Telecommunications Communications Canada, Telecommunications privacy principles, (Ottawa, 1992)
1993 Broadcasting Task Force on the Introduction of Digital Radio, Communications Canada, Digital radio, the sound of the future:  the Canadian vision, (Ottawa, 1993)
1993 Broadcasting Federal working group to “review the CBC’s funding situation”
1994 Broadcasting Parliamentary Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage:  “role of the [CBC] .. potential sources of new revenues”
1994 Telecommunications Communications Development and Planning Branch, Industry Canada, Privacy and the Canadian information highway: building Canada’s information and communications infrastructure, (Ottawa, 1994)
1995 Broadcasting Working Group on Canadian Programming and Private Television:  Report on the Future of Canadian Programming and the Role of Private Television: Keeping Canada on the Information Highway.
1995 Broadcasting Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, The Future of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in the Multi-Channel Universe
1995 Convergence CRTC, Competition and culture on Canada’s information highway:  managing the realities of transition, (Ottawa, 19 May 1995),
1995 Convergence Information Highway Advisory Council, Connection, Community, Content:  The Challenge of the Information Highway, (Ottawa, 27 September 1995)
1995 Convergence Government of Canada, Building the Information Society:  Moving Canada into the 21st Century.
1995 Convergence CRTC, Competition and Culture on Canada’s Information Highway: Managing the Realities of Transition, (Ottawa, 19 May 1995), in accordance with Order in Council P.C. 1994-1689 (11 October 1994)
1996 Broadcasting Tom Gorman, Services, Science and Technology Division, Statistics Canada, Television:  Glorious Past, Uncertain Future, 63F0002XPZB No. 6 (Ottawa, January 1996), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/Statcan/63F0002XIE/63F0002XIB1995006.pdf
1996 Broadcasting Task Force on the Future of the Canadian Music Industry, A Time for action:  report, (Ottawa, 1996)
1996 Broadcasting Mandate Review Committee of the CBC, NFB and Telefilm Canada, Making Our Voices Heard, Report (Ottawa, 1996) [ Juneau Committee’
1996 Convergence Industry Canada, Convergence Policy Statement, Policy (Ottawa, 1996), https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf05265.html
1996 Telecommunications Research Branch, Library of Parliament, Privacy issues in telecommunications, Current issue reviews (Ottawa, 1993, revised January 1996)
1996 Telecommunications Daniel J. Shaw, Research Branch, Library of Parliament, Telecommunications and Canadian industrial policy, (Ottawa, 1996), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2008/lop-bdp/bp/bp430-e.pdf
1996 Telecommunications Daniel J. Shaw, Library of Parliament, Parliamentary Research Branch, Economics Division, THE DEREGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADCAST DISTRIBUTION (Ottawa, November 1996), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2008/lop-bdp/bp/bp432-e.pdf
1996 Telecommunications Daniel J. Shaw, Library of Parliament, Parliamentary Research Branch, Economics Division, THE INFORMATION HIGHWAY: THE CONVERGENCE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS, BROADCAST DISTRIBUTION AND MICROPROCESSING, (Ottawa, June 1996), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2008/lop-bdp/bp/bp420-e.pdf
1996 Telecommunications Daniel J. Shaw, Library of Parliament, Parliamentary Research Branch, Economics Division, The information revolution and international telecommunications, (Ottawa, July 1996), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection-R/LoPBdP/BP-e/bp421-e.pdf
1996 Telecommunications Human Resources Canada, Human resources study of the Canadian telecommunications industry: detailed report, (Ottawa, 1996)
1996 Telecommunications Peter Howitt, Industry Canada, Implications of knowledge-based growth for micro-economic policies, cat. Id53-11/6-1996E (Ottawa, 1996)
1996 Telecommunications Daniel J. Shaw, Library of Parliament, Parliamentary Research Branch, Economics Division, Telecommunication services and pricing:  from monopoly to competition, (Ottawa, 1995, revised September 1996)
1996 Telecommunications Élisabeth Lefebvre & Louis A. Lefebvre, Information and telecommunication technologies:  the impact of their adoption on small and medium-sized enterprises, (Ottawa, September 1996), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/crdi-idrc/E97-48-1996-eng.pdf
1996 Telecommunications Daniel J. Shaw, Library of Parliament, Parliamentary Research Branch, Economics Division, CANADIAN COMPETITIVENESS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND BROADCAST DISTRIBUTION, (Ottawa, November 1996), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2008/lop-bdp/bp/bp427-e.pdf
1998 Broadcasting CRTC, ADDITIONAL NATIONAL TELEVISION NETWORKS – A REPORT TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA PURSUANT TO ORDER IN COUNCIL P.C. 1997-592, Public Notice CRTC 1998-8 (Ottawa, 6 February 1998), http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1998/PB98-8.HTM
1999 Broadcasting Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, A Sense of Place, A Sense of Being:  The evolving role of the Federal government in support of culture in Canada, Ninth Report (Ottawa, June 1999), http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/36-1/CHER/report-9/
1999 Broadcasting The Cultural Industries Sectoral Advisory Group on International Trade, New Strategies for Culture and Trade Canadian Culture in a Global World, (February 1999), http://www.international.gc.ca/trade-agreements-accords-commerciaux/topics-domaines/ip-pi/canculture.aspx?lang=en
1999 Broadcasting CRTC, Report on the establishment of a national French-language arts television service, Public Notice CRTC 1999-187 (Ottawa, 19 November 1999), in response to Order in Council P.C. 1999-1454, http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/1999/PB99-187.HTM
1999 Film Canadian Heritage, The Road to Feature Film Success:  Report of the Feature Film Advisory Committee, (Ottawa, 1999)
2000 Broadcasting CRTC, Report to the Governor in Council on measures to ensure that the residents of the Greater Toronto Area receive a range of radio services reflective of the diversity of their languages and cultures, Public Notice CRTC 2001-10 (Ottawa, 31 January 2001), Order In Council P.C. 1464 (Ottawa, 13 September 2000), http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2001/PB2001-10.htm
2000 Film Canadian Heritage, From Script to Screen:  New Policy Directors for Canadian Feature Film, (Ottawa, 2000), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH44-11-2000E.pdf
2000 Telecommunications CRTC, State of Competition in Canadian telecommunications markets, Order in Coouncil P.C. 2000-1053 (Ottawa, 26 June 2000), http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2005/pt2005-15.pdf
2001 Broadcasting Federal government announces the Tomorrow Starts Today cultural policy, to foster arts and culture, maximize Canadians’ access to arts and culture, and develop partnerships
2001 Broadcasting CRTC, Achieving a better balance:  Report on French-language broadcasting services in a minority environment, Report in response to Order in Council PC 2000-511, (Ottawa, 12 February 2001), http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2001/PB2001-25.htm
2001 Copyright A Framework for Copyright Reform, (Ottawa, 2001)
2001 Copyright Intellectual Property Policy Directorate, Industry Canada, Consultation Paper on the Application of the Copyright Act’s Compulsory Retransmission Licence to the Internet, (Ottawa, 2001),
2001 Copyright Consultation Paper on Digital Copyright Issues, (Ottawa, 2001)
2001 Telecommunications National Broadband Task Force, The New National Dream:  Networking the Nation for Broadband Access, (Ottawa, 2001), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/C2-574-2001E.pdf
2002 Broadcasting Department of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Content for the 21st Century, Discussion Paper (Ottawa, March 2002), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH44-29-2002E.pdf
2002 Broadcasting Department of Canadian Heritage, From Creators to Audience:  New Policy Directions for Canadian Sound Recording, (Ottawa, 2002), Policy, http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH44-31-2002E.pdf
2003 Broadcasting Canadian Heritage, Northern Native Broadcast Access Program (NNBAP) & Northern Distribution Program (NDP) Evaluation:  Final Report (25 June 2003), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH44-90-2003E.pdf
2003 Broadcasting Department of Canadian Heritage, Canadian Content in the 21st Century in Film and Television Productions:  A Matter of Cultural Identity (Ottawa, 2003) [Macerola Report]
2003 Broadcasting Lincoln report:  Our Cultural Sovereignty:  The Second Century of Canadian Broadcasting, Report of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, (Ottawa, 11 June 2003) http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/CH44-48-2005E.pdf
2003 Broadcasting CRTC, Internet retransmission, Broadcasting Public Notice CRTC 2003-2 (Ottawa, 17 January 2003), in response to Order in Council P.C. 2002-1043 (12 June 2002), http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/archive/2003/pb2003-2.htm
2003 Telecommunications Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Opening Canadian Communications to the World, Report, (Ottawa, April 2003), https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/37-2/INST/report-3/.
2005 Film Canadian Heritage, Corporate Review Branch, Evaluation Services, Summative Evaluation of the Canadian Feature Film Policy, (Ottawa, September 2005)
2005 Film Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Scripts, Screens and Audiences: A New Feature Film Policy for the 21st Century, Report (Ottawa, November 2005), http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/38-1/CHPC/report-19/
2006 Broadcasting Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, Final Report on the Canadian News Media (2 volumes)
2006 Broadcasting CRTC, The Future Environment Facing the Canadian Broadcasting System: a report prepared pursuant to section 15 of the Broadcasting Act (Ottawa, 14 December 2006), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/BC92-60-2006E.pdf
2006 Broadcasting CRTC, THE FUTURE ENVIRONMENT
FACING THE CANADIAN BROADCASTING SYSTEM, (Ottawa, 14 December 2006), Order in Council P.C. 2006-519 (Ottawa, 8 June 2006), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/Collection/BC92-60-2006E.pdf
2006 Telecommunications House of Commons Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, Sixth Report, (Ottawa, 30 March 2007), 39th Parl, 1st Sess, https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/39-1/INDU/report-6/:
2006 Telecommunications March 22, 2006:  Telecommunications Policy Review Panel, Final Report, (Ottawa, March 2006), https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/vwapj/tprp-final-report-2006.pdf/$FILE/tprp-final-report-2006.pdf
2007 Broadcasting Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, The Funding Crisis of the Canadian Television Fund:  Report, (Ottawa, March 2007), 39th Parl., 1st Sess., http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/39-1/CHPC/report-17/
2007 Broadcasting L. Dunbar & C. Leblanc, REVIEW OF THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK FOR BROADCASTING SERVICES IN CANADA (Ottawa, 31 August 2007), http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2008/crtc/BC92-62-2007E.pdf
2007 Telecommunications Department of Industry, Spectrum Policy Framework for Canada, Gzette Notice No. DGTP-001-07 (Ottawa, June 2007), http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/sf08776.html
2008 Broadcasting Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, CB/Radio-Canada: Defining Distinctiveness in the Changing Media Landscape:  Report, (Ottawa, February 2008) 39th Parl., 2nd Sess.,  http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/39-2/CHPC/report-6/
2008 Broadcasting CRTC, Perspectives on Canadian Broadcasting in New Media ­ a compilation of research and stakeholder views (Ottawa, May 2008) Revised June 2008, http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2009/crtc/BC92-65-2008E.pdf
2008 Telecommunications Competition Policy Review Panel, Compete to Win: Final Report, (Ottawa, June 2008), https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cprp-gepmc.nsf/eng/h_00040.html
2009 Broadcasting CRTC, Report to the Governor in Council on English- and French-language broadcasting services in English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada, (Ottawa, 3 March 2009), Order in Council P.C. 2008-1293 (Ottawa, 19 June 2008),
2010 Broadcasting CRTC, The implications and advisability of implementing a compensation regime for the value of local television signals, (Ottawa, 23 March 2010), Order in Council P.C. 2009-1569 (Ottawa, 16 September 2009), http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/rp100323.htm
2010 Telecommunications Convergence Policy, Policy Development and Research, CRTC, Navigating Convergence: Charting Canadian Communications Change and Regulatory Implications, (Ottawa, February 2010), https://crtc.gc.ca/eng/publications/reports/rp1002.htm
2010 Telecommunications Report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology  CANADA’S FOREIGN OWNERSHIP RULES AND REGULATIONS IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SECTOR, (Ottawa, JUNE 2010)  https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/40-3/INDU/report-5/, 40th Parl., 3rd Sess.
2011 Broadcasting Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Impacts of Private Television Ownership Changes and the Move Towards New Viewing Platforms: Report, (Ottawa, March 2011) 40th Parl. 3rd Sess., https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/40-3/CHPC/report-9/
2011 Convergence Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Emerging and Digital Media: Opportunities and Challenges, Report (Ottawa, February 2011), 40th Parl. 3rd Sess., http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/40-3/CHPC/report-7/
2011 Telecommunications CRTC, Navigating Convergence II: Charting Canadian Communications Change and Regulatory Implications, (Ottawa, 2011), http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.694893/publication.html
2012 Telecommunications Report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, E-COMMERCE IN CANADA: PURSUING THE PROMISE, (Ottawa, May 2012) 41st Parl., 1st Sess., https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/41-1/INDU/report-1/page-5
2014 Broadcasting Michael Dewing, legal and Social Affairs Division, Parliamentary Information and Research Service, Canadian Broadcasting Policy, Pub. No. 2011-9-E (Ottawa, 23 June 2011), revised 6 Aug 2014, http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2014/bdp-lop/bp/2011-39-2-eng.pdf
2014 Film Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Review of the Feature Film Industry in Canada: Report, (Ottawa, June 2014), 41sst Parl., 2nd Sess., http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/41-2/CHPC/report-14/
2015 Broadcasting Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications, Time for change: the CBC/Radio-Canada in the twenty-first century, Report, (Ottawa, 2015), http://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.802332/publication.html
2015 Film Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Review of the Feature Film Industry in Canada:  Report, (Ottawa, June 2015), 41st Parl., 2nd Sess., http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2015/parl/xc61-1/XC61-1-1-412-14-eng.pdf.
2016 Broadcasting House of Commons Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, INTERIM REPORT ON MEDIA STUDY: The Impact of Digital Technology, Report 3, Presented to the House: December 8, 2016
2017 Broadcasting Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, Disruption:  Change and churning in Canada’s media landscape (Ottawa, 15 June 2017), http://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/42-1/CHPC/report-6/
2017 Broadcasting Department of Canadian Heritage, Creative Canada Policy Framework, (Ottawa, 28 September 2017), https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/creative-canada/framework.html